25. Never force your adversary with your best card of a suit, unless you have the second best also.

26. In your partner's lead, endeavour to keep the command in his hand, rather than in your own.

27. If you have a saw, it is generally better to pursue it than to trump out: although you should be strong in trumps, with a good suit.

28. Keep the trump you turn up as long as you properly can.

29. When you hold all the remaining trumps, play one of them to inform your partner; and then put the lead into his hand.

30. It is better to lead from ace and nine, than from ace and ten.

31. It is better to lead trumps through an ace or king, than through a queen or knave.

32. If you are reduced to the last trump, some winning cards, and one losing.card only, lead the losing card.

33. If only your partner has trumps remaining, and he leads a suit of which you have none; if you have a good quart, throw away the highest of it.

34. If you have an ace with one small card of any suit, and several winning cards in other suits; rather throw away some winning card than that small one.

35. If you hold only one honour with a small trump, and with the trumps out, lead the honour first.

36. If trumps have been led thrice, and there be two remaining in the adversaries' hands, endeavour to force them out.

37. Never play the best card of your adversaries' lead at second hand, unless your partner has none of that suit. 38. If you have four trumps and the command of a sujt, whereof your partner has none, lead a small card, in order that he may trump it.

33. If you hold five trumps with a good hand, play trumps, and clear your adversaries' hands of them. 40. If you hold the ace and three small trumps, when the adversaries lead them, and have no particular reason for stopping the suit, let them quietly make king and queen, and on the third round play the ace.

41. Supposing yourself leader with three small trumps, one strong suit, one moderate suit, and a single card, begin with the strong suit, and next lead the single card. 42. Be careful how you sort your cards, lest a sharp

and curious eye should discover the number of your trumps.

Three persons sometimes play at whist, one of them undertaking an ideal partner called dumby, whose cards are turned up to view on the table, which is reckoned an advantage to a good player, but rather detrimental to an indifferent one.

Three-handed whist is a game requiring but little skill. It is played by discarding all the deuces, threes, and fours, with one five; each person acting alone; in this way every trick above four, and each honour, is reckoned. In other respects, these modes do not vary from the usual methods and rules.

MATHEWS'S DIRECTIONS, &c.

Mr. Mathews (London) having published "Instructions to the Young Whist Player," which have been very highly approved by good players, it has been thought expedient to add them to this work, that the student may compare them with Hoyle's and Payne's maxims and directions, and follow such as appear most reasonable and practical.

INTRODUCTION.

THE following definition of the game of Whis. .s recommended to the attentive perusal of the reader, previous to his studying the maxims; as nothing will facilitate his comprehension of them so much as a clear idea of the result to which they all tend.

Whist is a game of calculation, observation, and position or tenace.

Calculation teaches you to plan your game, and lead originally to advantage; before a card is played, you suppose the dealer to have an honour and three other trumps, the others each an honour and two others. The least reflection will show, that as it is two to one that your partner has not named a card; to lead on the supposition he has it, is to play against calculation. Whereas the odds being in favour of his having one of two named cards, you are justified in playing accordingly. Calcu lation is also of use on other occasions, w ich the maxims w elucidate; but after a few leads have taken place, it is nearly superseded by observation. Where the set are really good players, before half the cards are played out, they are as well acquainted with the material ones remaining in each other's hands, as if they were to see them. Where two regular players are matched against two irregular ones, it is nearly the Jame advantage as if they were permitted to see each

other's cards, while the latter were denied the same privilege.

It is an axiom, that the nearer your play approaches what is called the dumb man, the better.

These may be called the foundation of the game, and are so merely mechanical, that any one possessed of a tolerable memory may attain them.

After which comes the more difficult science of position, or the art of using the two former to advantage; without which, it is self evident, they are of no use. Attentive study and practice will, in some degree, ensure success; but genius must be added before the whole finesse of the game can be acquired-however,

Est quiddam prodire tenus, si non datur ultra.

MATHEWS'S

Directions and Maxims for Beginners.

1. STUDY all written maxims with the cards placed before you, in the situations mentioned. Abstract directions puzzle, much oftener than they assist, the beginner.

2. Keep in your mind that general maxims presuppose the game and hand at their commencement; and that material changes in them frequently require that a different mode of play should be adopted.

3. Do not attempt the practice, till you have acquired a competent knowledge of the theory; and avoid as much as possible, at first, sitting down with bad playIt is more difficult to eradicate erroneous, than to acquire just, ideas.

ers.

Never lead a card without a reason-though a wrong one it is better than accustoming yourself to play at random.

5. Do not at first puzzle yourself with many calcula tions. Those you will find hereafter mentioned are sufficient, even for a proficient.

6. Do not accustom yourself to judge by consequences. Bad succeeds sometimes, when good play would not, When you see an acknowledged judge of the game play in a manner you do not comprehend, get him to explain his reasons, and while fresh in your memory, place the same cards before you: when once you can comprehend the case, you will be able to adapt it to similar situations.

7. Before you play a card, sort your hand carefully, look at the trump card, and consider the score of the game, the strength of your own hand, and form your plan on the probable situation of the cards, subject however to be changed, should any thing fall to indicate a different one: after which, never look at your hand till you are to play. Without attending to the board, no maxims or practice can make even a tolerable whist player.

8. Observe, silently and attentively, the different systems of those with whom you commonly play: few but have their favourite one, the knowledge of which will give you a constant advantage; one leads by preference