a celebrated game at cards, borrowed from the Spaniards, and played by two, by three, or by five persons, but generally by three. When three play at this game, nine cards are dealt to each party; the whole ombre pack being only 40: because the eights, nines, and tens, are thrown out of the pack. There are two sorts of counters for stakes, the greater and the lesser; the last having the same proportion to the other as a penny to a shilling: of the greater counters each man takes one for the game; and one of the lesser for passing for the hand, when eldest, and for every card taken in. As to the order and value of the cards, the ace of spades, called pipillo, is always the highest trump, in whatever suit the trump be; the manille, or black dues, is the second; and the baflo, or ace of clubs, is always the third: the next in order is the king, the queen, the knave, the seven, the fix, the five, four, and three. Of the black there are 11 trumps; of the red, 12. The least small cards of the red are always the best, and the most of the black; except the duece and red seven, both of which are called the manilles, and are always second when the red is a trump. The red ace, when a trump, enters into the fourth place, and is called punto; otherwise it is only called an ace. The three principal cards are called matadores; which have this privilege, that they are not obliged to attend an inferior trump when it leads; but for want of a small trump, the person may renounce trumps, and play any other card; and when these are all in the same hand, the others pay three of the greater counters a-piece; and with these three for a foundation, he may count as many matadores as he has cards in an uninterrupted series of trumps; for all which the others are to pay one counter a-piece. He who hath the first hand is called ombre, and has his choice of playing the game, of naming the trump, and of taking in as many and as few cards as he pleases; and after him the second, &c. But if he does not name the trump before he looks on the cards he has taken in, any other may prevent him, by naming what trump he pleases. He that has the first hand should neither take in, nor play, unless he has at least three sure tricks in his hand: for, as he wins the game who wins most tricks, he that can win five of the nine has a sure game: which is also the case if he wins four, and can so divide the tricks as that one person may win two, and the other three.

If a person play without discharging or changing any cards, this is called playing sans prendre; and if another win more tricks than he, he is said to win co-dille. The over-fights in the course of the game are called boufts. And if the ombre wins all the nine tricks, it is called winning the vole.

In ombre by five, which many, on account of its not requiring to close an attention, prefer to that by three, only eight cards a-piece are dealt; and five tricks must be won, otherwise the ombre is beasted. Here the person who undertakes the game, after naming the trump, calls a king to his assistance; upon which the person in whose hand the king is, without discovering himself, is to assist him as a partner, and to share his fate. If, between both, they can make five tricks, the ombre wins two counters, and the auxiliary king only one; but when the counters are even, they divide them equally. If the ombre venture the game without calling in any King, this too is called playing sans prendre; in which case the other four are all against him, and he must win five tricks alone, or be beasted. The rest is much the same as by three.