scoring nine. But if the adversary is at nine, this should not be done, as by hazarding the odd trick, you hazard the game.

N. B. This mode of reasoning will in general direct you where and why finesses are proper or improper. For there is scarcely one, though ever so right in general, but what the different situations of the score and hand may render dangerous and indefensible.

102. The following critica' stroke decided one of the most material rubbers that was ever played, and is recommended to the attentive perusal even of proficients:

The parties were at nine. A had won six tricks, and remained with knave and a small trump, and two diamonds, with the lead. B, his left hand adversary, with the queen and ten of trumps, and two, clubs. C, his partner, with two small trumps, and two diamonds. D, last player, with ace and a small trump, a club, and a heart. A led a diamond, which being passed by B, was to be won by D. Query-How is D to play, to make it possible to win the odd trick? Answer-D saw it was not possible, unless his partner had either the two best trumps, or the first and third, with a successful finesse. He therefore trumped with the ace, led the small one, and won the game.

N. B. In another score of the game, this would not be justifiable, as the chance of losing a trick is greater .han that of gaining one by it.

103. The attentive perusal (in the mode prescribed) of these maxims, will, I think, with a little practice, enable a beginner to play with very good cards to considerable advantage. The difficulty of the game does not consist in this; for aces and kings will make tricks, and no skill can make a ten win a knave. But there are hands which frequently occur, when skilful players win, where bunglers lose their points: and (unless when the cards run very high) it is on the playing of such success depends, viz. ace or king, and three other trumps, a tercemajor, with others of a second suit, and a probable trick in a third-The player's plan should be, to remain either with the last trump, or the last but one, with the lead; and to accomplish this last, he must not win the second lead with the commanding trump, but reserve it for the third. Nothing then but five trumps in one hand,. can probably prevent his establishing his long suit, for ne forces out the best trump, and the thirteenth brings

in his suit again, which (without the lead after the third round of trumps) would be impossible.

104. As this maxim is of the utmost consequence, the following cases, which happen frequently, are added, to make it more clearly understood:

1st. A has ace and three trumps, a strong suit, headed by a terce-major, and a probable trick in a third, with the lead. Query-How should this hand be play. ed? Answer-A should lead a trump; but if his part ner wins and returns it, A should not put on his ace, but suffer it to be won by his adversary. When either A or his partner gets the lead, he of course plays a trump, which being won by A, he remains with the lead, and one, but not the best trump, though they should not be equally divided. This (his strong suit having forced out the best) establishes it again, notwithstanding the adversary may command the other suits, which are by these means prevented from making.

N. B. Had the ace been put on the second lead, the force would have been on A, and his strong suit entirely useless.

2d. A, with a similar hand, has ace, king, and two small trumps. If the adversaries lead trumps, he should not win the first trick, even if last player. By this, after the second lead, he still retains the best for the third, according to the maxim, and establishes his suit, (though the best trump keeps up against him) unless there are five in one hand originally.

3d. With ace, queen, and two small trumps, do not win the knave led on your left hand, but let it be played again according to the same maxim.

As the following, or nearly similar situations, frequently occur, I recommend them to the attentive perusal of those students, who feeling within themselves that they comprehend what I called the alphabet, wish to procure a gradual insight into the game. The whole combinations of which, I cannot too often repeat, proceed from plain and simple principles; but it requires much reflection to comprehend the same maxim, when applied to inferior cards, that appear self evident in the superior. There is scarcely a plaver, who if he has the ace, king, and knave of the suit of which his right hand adversary turns up the queen, but will lead the king and wait for the return to finesse his knave. But with ace, queen, and ten, (the knave being turned up on his right hand)

the same player will not see that his lead, if he plays a trump, is the queen, and that one and the same princi. ple actuates the players on both occasions, and so on through the suit.

It constantly happens, that the adversary on the right hand having won his partner's lead with the ace or king, returns the knave. In this case do not put on the queen, as the probability is against its being finessed. But on all these occasions, play without hesitation, which constantly directs a skilful adversary where to finesse to advantage.

It frequently happens when you have led from six trumps, that after your second lead you remain with three or four trumps, the best in your adversaries' hand; in these situations play a small trump, which has these two advantages-1st. To prevent the stopping of your partner suit-2d. To give you the tenace, in whatever suit is led by the adversary. This mutatis mutandis will show that it is bad play to play out the best trump, leaving others in the hand of one of your adversaries. It may do good to keep it up, by stopping a suit, and can answer no good purpose whatever to play it out.

A remains with the best trump, (say the ten) and a small one, with some losing cards, B, his partner, having clearly the second best, (say the nine) with some winning cards. The adversaries having one small trump and winning cards of the other two suits. A is forced. Query-How is he to play? Answer-A is to ruff with his best, and lead out his small trump, by which he puts it into his partner's hand, to make his winning cards, and renders those of his adversaries of no use whatever. This mode of play would sometimes be right, even when it was not certain whether the second best trump were in his partner's or his adversary's hand; but the fine player alone can be expected to distinguish

on so nice an occasion.

There are points where good players disagree. Some play what is called a forward-others a more timid game. Some commonly put on a king, second; others, but rarely. In these cases, a man may play either way, without committing error; but where all good players are of the same opinion, it should be received as an axiom-no good player puts on a queen, knave, or ten second of course, it should on all occasions be care. fully avoided.

105. The possession of the last trump is of most material advantage in the hands of a good player. A has the thirteenth trump, with the ace and four small ones of a suit not played, of which the adversary leads the king and queen: by passing them both, A probably makes three tricks in the suit; but had he won the king, he could not possibly make more than one.

106. When it is in your option to be eight or nine, it is material always to choose the former score.

107. Observe carefully what is originally discarded by each player, and whether, at the time, the lead is with the partner or adversary. If with the former, it is invariably meant to direct the partner-if with the latter, it is frequently intended to deceive the adversary, and induce him to lead to his strong suit.

103. You are not only to take every method to preserve the tenace or advantage of position to yourself, when it is evident that the winning cards lie between you 'and your adversary; but also to give it, as much as possible, to your partner, when you perceive the strength, in any suit, is in the hands of him and your left haud adversary; always keeping in your mind, that when the latter or you lead, it is for the adversary. It frequently happens, that by winning your partner's trick, when last player, you accomplish this. A has king, knave, (or any other second and fourth card) with a small one of a suit, that B, his left-hand adversary, has the first and third, and another with the lead. If A leads his smallcard, and B, your partner, wins it, you, last player, should, if possible, win the trick, though it is your partner's. By which means you prevent A from making a trick, which he must have done had the lead remained with B.

109. As I have ventured to recommend occasional de viations from what is considered as one of the most clas sic maxims, i. e. the leading from single cards, without that strength in trumps hitherto judged indispensably necessary to justify it, I give the reasons that infuence my opinion in favour of this practice, with those generally alleged against it, leaving the reader to determine between them. Two objections are made, which it cannot be denied, may and do happen. The first, that if your partner has the king of the suit guarded, and the ace behind it, he loses it; which would not be the case, if the lead came from the adversary. The second, and most essential is, that your partner, if he wins the trick

may lead out trumps, on the supposition it is your strong suit; or the adversaries from suspecting your intention. On the contrary, the constant and certain advantages are the preservation of the tenace in the other two suits, which I suppose you to have, and the probable one of making your small trumps, which you could not other wise do. A has four small trumps, ace, queen, &c. of the second suit; king, knave, &c. of a third; and a single card of the fourth. In these sort of hands, I am of opinion, that the chance of winning, or leading the single card, is much greater than of losing tricks. And I appeal to those who are in the habit of attending whist tables, whether they do not frequently see the players, who proceed exactly according to the maxims of Hoyle, &c., after losing the game, trying to demonstrate that this ought not to have happened, and that they have been vanquished by the bad not good play of their ad. versaries. I do not recommend, in general, leading from single cards,unless very strong in trumps; but with such hands as I have mentioned, I am convinced it may be occasionally done with very great, though not certain, advantage. It may not be unnecessary to inform the reader, that most of Hoyle's maxims were collected during what may be called the infancy of whist; and that he himself, so far from being able to teach the game, was not fit to sit down even with the third rate players of the present day.

I shall conclude these maxims by a short recapitulation of the most material ones, by way of fixing them in the minds of the readers.

1st. Let them be assured, that without comprehending the leads, modes of playing sequences, and an attentive observation of the board, it is as impossible to make any progress in the science of whist, as to learn to spell before they know their alphabet.

2d. That accustoming themselves to reason by analogy, will alone teach them to vary their play according to circumstances: and show them, that the best play in some, is the worst in different situations of the game. It is common to see even good players hazard the game, merely to gain the applause of ignorant bystanders, by making as much of their cards as they are capable of; and this pitiful ambition cannot be too much guarded against. Avoid also the contrary extreme, the fault of he old, and many of the imitators of the new school