century, when the game had assumed most of its principles. A century before, it differed essentially in several respects from the fundamental rules now established, and fifty years ago, recognized. For instance in Swift's time, it went generally by the double title of "Whist" and "Swabbers." These "swabbers" were certain cards, the possession of which entitled the holders to a part of the stakes; in the same way that now a claim is made for the aces at quadrille. In like manner, there was no bar to counting honours, they reckoned at nine, as well as at any other score. It is not clear when the existing custom of their not counting after eight first obtained. M. Deschapelles calls it " a fashionable embellishment." His observatons, always most pertinent, will be read with much interest, on this and many other modern innovations Our text of Hoyle has been carefully collated with the different editions, some of which are faulty. We omit for the present the mise en scene, which will be minutely detailed in Part the Third.

HOYLE'S GENERAL RULES FOR BEGINNERS.

WHEN you lead, begin with the best suit in your hand; if you have a sequence of king, queen, and knave, or queen, knave, and ten, they are sure leads, and gain the tenace to yourself and your partner in other suits. Begin with the highest of a sequence, unless you have five in number; in that case play the lowest (except in trumps, when you must always play the highest) in order to get the ace or king out of your partner's or adversary's hand, to make room for your strong suit.

If you have five of the smallest trumps, and not one good card in the other suits, trump out, which will make your partner the last player, and by that means give him the

tenace.

If two small trumps only, with ace and king of two other suits, and a deficiency of the fourth suit, make as many tricks as you can immediately; and if your partner refuses either of your suits, do not force him, because that may weaken his game too much.

You need seldom return your partner's lead immediately. if you have good suits of your own to play, unless it he

endeavour to save or win a game; what is meant by good suits is, sequences of king, queen, and knave, or queen, knave, and ten.

If you have each five tricks, and you are assured of getting two tricks in your own hand, win them, in expectation of scoring two that deal; because if you lose the odd trick, it makes two difference, and you play two to one against yourself.

An exception to the foregoing rule is, when you see a probability either of saving your lurch or winning the game; in either of which cases risk the odd trick.

When you have a probability of winning the game, always risk a trick or two, because the share of the stake, which your adversary has by a new deal, will amount to more than the point or two which you risk.

If your adversary is six or seven love, and you are to lead, in that case risk a trick or two, in hopes of putting the game upon an equality; therefore, admitting you have the queen or knave, and one other trump, and no good cards in other suits, play out your queen or knave of trumps; by which means you will strengthen your partner's game, if he is strong in trumps; if weak, you do him no injury.

If you are four of the game, play for an odd trick, because it saves one-half of the stake; and, in order to win the odd trick, though you are pretty strong in trumps, be cautious how you trump out. What is meant by strength in trumps,

is, 1 honour and 3 trumps.

If you are nine of the game, and though very strong in trumps, yet if you observe your partner to have a chance of trumping any of your adversary's suits; then do not trump out, but give him an opportunity of trumping those suits. your game is scored one, two, or three, you must play the reverse; and also five, six, or seven; because in these two last recited cases, you play for more than one point.

If you are last player, and find that the third hand cannot put on a good card to his partner's lead, admitting you have no good game of your own to play, return the lead upon the adversary; which gives your partner the tenace in that suit, and often obliges the adversary to change suits, and consequently gives the tenace in that new suit also.

If you have ace, king, and four small trumps, begin with a

small one; because it is an equal wager that your partner has a better trump than the last player; if so, you have three rounds of trumps; if not, you cannot fetch out all the trumps.

If ace, king, knave, and three small trumps, begin with the king, and then play the ace, (except one of the adversaries refuses trumps,) because the odds are in your favour that the queen falls.

If king, queen, and four small trumps, begin with a small one, because the odds are on your side that your partner has an honour.

If king, queen, ten, and three small trumps, begin with the king, because you have a fair chance that the knave falls in the second round, or you may finesse your ten upon the return of trumps from your partner.

If queen, knave, and four small trumps, begin with a small one, because the odds are in your favour that your partner has an honour.

If queen, knave, nine, and three small trumps, begin with the queen, because you have a fair chance that the ten falls in the second round; or you may wait to finesse the nine.

If knave, ten, and four small trumps, begin with a small one. If knave, ten, eight, and three small trumps, begin with the knave, in order to prevent the nine from making a trick; and the odds are in your favour that the other three honours fall in two rounds.

If six trumps of a lower denomination, begin with the lowest, unless you should have ten, nine, and eight, and an honour turns up against you; in that case, if you are to play through the honour, begin with the ten, which obliges the adversary to play his honour to his disadvantage, or leave it in your partner's option, whether he will pass it or not.

If ace, king, and three small trumps, begin with a small one If ace, king, and knave, and two small trumps, begin with the king, which, next to a moral certainty, informs your partner that you have ace and knave remaining; and by putting the lead into your partner's hand, he plays you a trump; upon which you are to finesse the knave, and no ill consequence can attend such play, except the queen lies behind you single.

If king, queen, and three small trumps, begin with a small

one.

If the queen, knave, and three small trumps, begin with a small one.

If queen, knave, nine, and two small trumps, begin with the queen.

If knave, ten, and three small trumps, begin with a smal!

one.

If knave, ten, eight, and two small trumps, begin with the knave, because in two rounds of trumps it is odds but that the nine falls; or upon the return of trumps from your partner, you may finesse the eight.

If five trumps of a lower denomination, it is the best play to begin with the lowest, unless you have a sequence of ten, nine, and eight; in that case begin with the highest of the sequence.

If ace, king, and two small trumps, begin with a smali one. If ace, king, knave, and one small trump, begin with the king.

If king, queen, and two small trumps, begin with a small

one.

If king, queen, ten, and one small trump, begin with the king, and wait for the return of trumps from your partner, when finesse your ten, in order to win the knave.

If queen, knave, nine, and one small trump, begin with the queen, in order to prevent the ten from making a trick.

If knave, ten, and two small trumps, begin with a small one.

one.

If knave, ten, eight, and one small trump, begin with the knave, in order to prevent the nine from making a trick.

If ten, nine, eight, and one small trump, begin with the ten, which leaves it in your partner's discretion whether he will pass it or not.

If ten, and three small trumps, begin with a small one.

SOME PARTICULAR RULES.

If you have ace, king, and four small trumps, with good suit, play three rounds of trumps, otherwise you may have your strong suit trumped.

If king, queen, and four small trumps, with a good suit, trump out with the king, because when you have the lead again, you will have three rounds of trumps.

If king, queen, ten, and two small trumps, begin with the king.

If king, queen, ten, and three small trumps, with a good suit, trump out with the king, in expectation of the knave's falling at the second round; and do not wait to finesse the ten, for fear your strong suit should be trumped.

If queen, knave, and three small trumps, with a good suit, trump out with a small one.

If queen, knave, nine, and two small trumps, with a good suit, trump out with the queen, in expectation of the ten falling at the second round; and do not wait to finesse the nine, but trump out a second time, for the reason assigned above.

If knave, ten, and three small trumps, with a good suit, trump out with a small one.

If knave, ten, eight, and two small trumps, with a good suit, trump out with the knave, in expectation of the nine falling at the second round.

If ten, nine, eight, and one small trump, with a good suit, trump out with the ten.

PARTICULAR GAMES.

Suppose you are elder hand, and that your game consist of king, queen, and knave of one suit; ace, king, queen, and two small cards of another suit; king and queen of the third suit, and three small trumps. You are to begin with the ace of your best suit (or a trump) which informs your partner that you have the command of that suit; but you are not to proceed with the king of the same suit, but play a trump next; and if you find your partner has no strength to support you in trumps, and that your adversary plays to your weak suit, viz. the king and queen only, in that case, play the king of the best suit: and if you observe a probability of either your adversaries being likely to trump that suit, proceed then and play the king of the suit of which you have king, queen, and knave. If it should so happen that your adversaries do not play to your weakest suit, in that case, though apparently your partner can give you no assistance in trumps, pursue your scheme of trumping out as often as the lead comes into your hand; by which means, supposing your partner to have but two trumps, and that your adversaries have four each, by three rounds of trumos, there remain only two trumps against you.