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 have called the alphabet, wish to procure a gradual insight into the game, the whole combinations of which, I cannot too often repeat, proceed from very plain and simple principles; but it requires much reflection to comprehend the same maxim, when applied to inferior cards, that appears self-evident in the superiors. There is scarcely a player, 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 principle actuates the players on both occasion, and so 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 adversary's hand; in these situations play a small trump, which has these two advantages;-1st, to prevent the stopping of your partner's suit; and 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 put 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 ton) 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 b 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 ad versaries 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 adver sary's hand; but the fine player alone can be expected tc 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 carefully 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 at your option to be eight or nine, it 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.

108. You are not only to take every method to preserve the tenace or advantage of the 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-hand adversary; always keeping in your mind, that, when the latter or you lead, the tenace is against; if your partner 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 card, 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 inaking a trick, which he must have done had the lead ra mained with B.

109. As I have ventured to recommend occasional deviations from what is considered as one of the most classic maxins, i. e., leading from single cards, without that strength in trumps hitherto judged indispensably necessary to justify it; I give the reasons that influence my opinion in favor of this practice, with those generally alleged gainst it, leaving the reader to determine between them. wo 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 material 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 otherwise 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 by leading the single card is much greater than of losing tricks; and I appeal to those who are in the habit of attending Whisttables, whether they do not frequently see the players who proceed more 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 adversaries. I do not recommend in general leading from single cards, anless very strong in trumps; but with such hands as Í 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; but this pitiful ambition cannot be too much guarded against. Avoid also the contrary extreme, the faults of the old, and many of the imita tors of the new, school. These never part with a tenace, or certain trick, though for the probability of making sev eral; and are like fencers who parry well but cannot attack. No player of this kind can ever excel, though he may reach mediocrity.

I must also repeat my advice to proficients, to vary_their play according to the set they are engaged with; and recollect that it would be of no advantage to speak French like Voltaire, if you lived with people who are ignorant of the language.

On Leads.-1. The safest leads are: from sequences of three or more cards lead the highest, and put on the lowest to your partner's lead, but the highest on your adversary's. With a tierce to the king and several others, begin with the knave.

2. With ace, king, knave, and three small trumps, play out the ace and king; with only two, the king, and wait for the finesse of the knave. In other suits, without great' strength in trumps, or with the hopes of a particular point, do not wait for the finesse.

3. Ace, king, and five others, lead the ace in all suits. With four or less, the lowest, if trumps. In other suits, always the ace, unless all the trumps remaining are with you and your partner; in this case a small one.

4. Ace, queen, knave, &c., in all suits, the ace. Ace, ueen, ten, with others, in trumps, a small one; but if with

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three, unless very strong in trumps, lead the ace in other Buits.

5. Ace, knave, with small ones, lead the lowest in trumps; in other suits, if with more than two, lead the ace, unless very strong in trumps.

6. Ace, with four small ones, in trumps, lead the lowest. If with four or more in other suits, and not very strong in trumps, the ace.

[N. B. It is the general custom, with ace and one other, to lead the ace. This is right if you have reason to think it your partner's suit, otherwise lead the small one.]

7. King, queen, ten, &c., in all suits, lead the king; but if it passes, do not pursue the lead, as certain the ace is in your partner's hand, as it is often kept up, but change your lead, and wait for the return from your partner, when you have the finesse of the ten, if necessary.

8. King, queen, and five others, in all suits, the king. With four or less, in trumps, lead the lowest. In other suits, always the king, unless you have the two only remaining trumps; if so, you may play a small one.

9. King, knave, ten, &c., in all suits, lead the ten. King, knave, and two or more small ones, the lowest.

[N. B. You should not lead from king, knave, and a small one, unless it is clearly your partner's suit, in which case, play off your king and knave.]

10. Queen, krave, nine, and others, lead the queen. Queen, knave, with one other, the queen. Queen, knave, with two more, the lowest. Queen, ten, and two others, the lowest. Queen, and three small ones, the lowest. Queen, or knave, with only two, the queen or knave.

[N. B. The trump card sometimes occasions a deviation from these rules. A has the ace or king, with a sequence from the ten downwards, of the suit of which his left-hand adversary turns up knave or queen. A should lead the ten. If the knave or queen be put on, you have a finesse on the return with the nine; if not, your partner, with an honor, will pass it, and is either way advantageous.]

The following calculations are sufficient for a beginner: That either player has not one named card, not in your hand, is

2 to 1

1 of 2

1 in 3

1 in 4