a little troop or company of cavaliers, pompously dressed, and mounted for the performance of carousals, jousts, tournaments, runnings at the ring, and other gallant diversions.

a game played by four persons, with 40 cards; which are the remains of a pack after the four tens, nines, and eights are discarded; these are dealt three and three, and one round four, to the right-hand player; and the trump is made by him that plays with or without calling, by naming spades, clubs, diamonds, or hearts, and the suit named is trumps. If the person who names the trump should mistake, and say spades instead of clubs, or if he name two suits, the first named is the trump.

In this game the order of the cards, according to their natural value, is as follows: of hearts and diamonds, king, queen, knave, ace, deuce, three, four, five, six, seven; in all 10; of spades and clubs, king, queen, knave, seven, six, five, four, three, deuce; in all 9. The reason why the ace of spades and ace of clubs are not mentioned, is because they are always trumps in whatever suit that is played. The ace of spades being always the first, and the ace of clubs the third trump, for the cards ranked according to their value when trumps stand in the following order.

Hearts and diamonds, spadill, or the ace of spades; manill, the seventh of the two red suits; basto, the ace of clubs; ponte, the ace of hearts and diamonds; king, queen, knave, deuce, three, four, five, six; in all 12. Spades and clubs, spadill, the ace of spades, manill, the deuce of spades and clubs, basto the ace of clubs, king, queen, knave, seven, six, five, four, three; in all 11.

It is here to be observed, that the card which is manill and the second trump, is always the lowest in its suit when not trumps; and that the ace of hearts or diamonds, which when trump is above the king, is below the knave when not trump.

There are three matadores; spadill, manill, and basto; the privilege of which is, that when the player has no other trumps but them, and trumps are led, he is not obliged to play them, but may play what card he thinks proper; provided, however, that the trump led is of an inferior rank; but if spadill should be led, he that has manill or basto only is obliged to play it; it is the same of manill basto, with respect to the superior matador always forcing the inferior. Though there are properly but three matadores, nevertheless, all those trumps which follow the three first without interruption, are likewise called matadores; but the three first only enjoy the privilege above mentioned.

Each person is to play as he judges most convenient for his own game. He is not to encourage his friend to play; but each person ought to know what to do when it is his turn to play. The stakes consist of seven equal mills or contrats, as they are sometimes called, comprising the ten counters and fishes, which are given to each player. A mil is equal to ten fish, and each fish to ten counters: the value of the fish is according to the players agreement, as also the number of tours, which are generally fixed at ten, and marked by turning the corners of a card.

If the cards should happen not to be dealt right, or that there should be two cards of the same sort, as two deuces of spades, for example, there must be a new deal; provided it is discovered before the cards are all played. The cards must likewise be dealt over again in case a card is turned in dealing, as it might be of prejudice to him who should have it, and of course if there should be several cards turned. There is no penalty for dealing wrong, he who does so must only deal again.

When each player has got his ten cards, he that is on the right hand of the dealer, after examining his game, and finding his hand fit to play, asks if they play; or if he has not a good hand, he passes, and so the second, third, and fourth. All the four may pass; but he that has spadill, after having shown or named it, is obliged to play by calling a king. Whether the deal is played in this manner, or that one of the players has asked leave, nobody choosing to play without calling, the eldest hand must begin the play, first naming the suit, and the king which he calls; he who wins the trick plays another card, and so of the rest till the game is finished. The tricks then are counted; and if the ombre, that is, he who stands the game, has together with him who is the king called, fix tricks, they have won and are paid the game, the consolation, and the matadores, if they have them, and divide what is upon the game, and the beasts if there are any. But if they make only five tricks, it is a remife, and they are beasted, what goes upon the game, paying to the other players the consolation and the matadores. If the tricks are equally divided betwixt them, they are likewise beasted; and if they make only four tricks between them, it is a remife; if they make less they lose codill (A), and in that case they pay to their adversaries what they should have received if they had won; that is, the game, the consolation, and the matadores, if they have them, and are beasted what is upon the game: they who win codill, divide the stakes. The beast and everything else that is paid, is paid equally betwixt the two losers; one half by him that calls, and the other half by him that is called, as well in case of codill as a remife;

(A) Codill is when those who defend the pool make more tricks than they who stand the game; which is called winning the codill. mife; unless the ombre does not make three tricks, in which case he that is called is not only exempted from paying half the beat, but also the game, the consolation, and the matadores if there are any, which the ombre in that case pays alone; and as well in case of a codill as a remise. This is done in order to oblige players not to play games that are unreasonable. There is nevertheless, one case in which if the ombre makes only one trick, he is not beasted alone, and that is, when not having a good hand he passes, and all the other players have passed likewise; he having spadill is obliged to play. Here it would be unjust to oblige him to make three or four tricks; in this case, therefore, he that is called pays one half of the losses. For which reason he that has spadill with a bad hand, should pass, that if he is afterwards obliged to play by calling a king (which is called forced spadill), he may not be beasted alone. He that has once passed cannot be admitted to play; and he that has asked leave cannot refuse to play, unless any one should offer to play without calling.

He that has four kings, may call a queen to one of his kings, except that which is trump. He that wants one or more kings, may call one of those kings; but in that case, he must make six tricks alone, and consequently he wins or loses alone. The king of that suit in which he plays cannot be called. No one should play out of his turn, although he is not beasted for so doing. If he who is not the eldest hand has the king called, and plays spadill, manill, or balto, or even the king called in order to show that he is the friend, having other kings that he fears the ombre should trump, he is not to be allowed to go for the vole; he is even beasted, if it appears to be done with that intent. It is not permitted to show a hand though codill may already be won; that it may be seen whether the ombre is beasted alone. If the ombre or his friend shows their cards before they have made six tricks, thinking that they have made them, and there appears a possibility of preventing their making them, the other players can oblige them to play their cards as they think proper.

A player need only name his suit when he plays, without calling a king. He who plays without calling must make six tricks alone to win; for all the other players are united against him, and they are to do what they can to prevent his winning. He who plays without calling, is admitted to play in preference to him who would play with calling; however, if he that has asked leave will play without calling, he has the preference of the other who would force him. These are the two methods of play without calling that are called forced.

As he who plays without calling does not divide the winnings with any person, he consequently, when he loses, pays all by himself: if he loses by remise he is beasted, and pays each of the other players the consolation, the fans appeller (which is commonly, but improperly, called the fans prendre), and the matadores if there are any; if he loses codill he is likewise beasted and pays to each player what he would have received from each if he had won. They who win codill divide what there is; and if there are any counters remaining, they belong to him of the three who shall have spadill or the highest trump the next deal. It is the same with regard to him who calls one of his own Quadrille kings; he wins alone or loses alone as in the other case, except the fans appeller, which he does not pay if he loses, or receive if he wins, although he plays alone.

If he plays fans appeller, though he may have a sure game, he is obliged to name his suit; which if he neglects to do, and shows his cards, and says "I play fans appeller;" in that case either of the other players can oblige him to play in what suit he pleases, although he should not have one trump in that suit.

He who has asked leave is not permitted to play fans appeller, unless he is forced; in which case, as was said before, he has the preference of the other that forces him.

A player is not obliged to trump when he has none of the suit led, nor play a higher card in that suit if he has it, being at his option although he is the last player, and the trick should belong to the ombre; but he is obliged to play in the suit led if he can, otherwise he renounces. If he separates a card from his game and shows it, he is obliged to play it, if by not doing it the game may be prejudiced, or if he can give any intelligence to his friend; but especially if it should be a matador.—He that plays fans appeller, or by calling himself, is not subject to this law. He may turn the tricks made by the other players, and count what has been played as often as it is his turn to play, but not otherwise. If instead of turning a player's tricks, he turns and see his game, or shows it to the other players, he is beasted, together with him whose cards he turned; and each of them must pay one half of the beat.

If any one renounces, he is beasted as often as he has renounced and it is detected; but a renounce is not made till the trick is turned. If the renounce is discovered before the deal is finished, and has been detrimental to the game, the cards must be taken up again, and the game replayed from that trick where the renounce was made; but if the cards are all played, the beat is still made, and the cards must not be replayed; except there should be several renounces in the same deal: then they are to be played again, unless the cards should be mixed. If several beats are made in the same deal, they all go together, unless it is otherwise agreed at the beginning of the party; and when there are several beats, the greatest always goes first.

A great advantage accrues from being eldest hand at quadrille, which often renders it very disagreeable to the rest of the players, being obliged to pass with a good hand unless they choose to play alone; and when it happens that the eldest hand having asked leave, the second player has three matadores, several trumps in back, and all small cards, he cannot then even play alone; and having no chance of being called, he must pass with this good hand. On account of which, this method has been thought expedient to remedy this defect of the game; each player having an opportunity of availing himself of the goodness of his game, by adding to the usual method of playing the game that of the mediateur, and the favourite suit.

The first thing to be observed is that of drawing for places, which is done in this manner: One of the players takes four cards; a king, a queen, a knave, and an ace; each player draws one of these cards; and commonly he who comes in last, draws first. The per- Quadrille, son who draws the king sits where he pleases, the queen at his right hand, the knave next the queen, and the ace on the left of the king. The king draws the favourite suit. The number of cards and persons is the same at this game as the other, and is played in the same manner.

The favourite suit is determined by drawing a card out of the pack, and is of the same suit, during the whole party, of the card so drawn.

A king is the mediateur, which is demanded of the others by one of the players, who has a hand he expects to make five tricks of; and through the assistance of this king he can play alone and make six tricks.

In return for the king received, he gives what card he thinks proper with a fish; but must give two fish if it is in the favourite suit. He who asks by calling in the favourite suit, has the preference to him who asks by calling in another; he who asks with the mediateur, has the preference to him who asks by calling in the favourite suit, and by playing alone is obliged to make six tricks to win. He who asks with the mediateur in the favourite suit, has the preference to him who asks with the mediateur in any other suit, and is obliged to play alone, and to make six tricks.

If fans prendre is played in any other suit than the favourite, he who plays it has the preference to him who asks only, or with the mediateur, or even he who plays in the favourite suit with the mediateur; and the fans prendre in the favourite suit has the preference to all other players whatever.

The only difference between this method of playing the game and the other is, that when one of the players demands the mediateur he is obliged to play alone, and to make six tricks, as if he played fans prendre. In this case he should judge from the strength of his hand, whether the aid of the king will enable him to play alone or not.

With the mediateur and without the favourite suit it is played in this manner. The game is marked and played the same as in common, except that a fish extraordinary is given to him who plays the mediateur, and to him who plays fans prendre; that is, he who wins the mediateur receives 13 counters from each; and if he loses by remise he pays 12 to each; and 13 if by codill. The winner of fans prendre receives 17 counters from each; and if by remise he loses, he pays 16 to each, and 17 if by codill.

The vole with the mediateur receives one fish only, as at common quadrille. The beasts are also the same as the common game. The last game is generally played double, and is called paulans; but for those who choose to play a higher game, they may play the double colour, which is called the Turk, and is double of the favourite suit. There is also a higher game than this, called the auddey, which is paying whatever is agreed to him who happens to hold the two aces in his hand.

We have omitted many things respecting the mode of marking the game, and playing the vole, because these are different in different cases, and are to be learned only by practice. The game itself is a very inferior one; but he who wishes to know more of it, may consult Hoyle's games improved by James Beaufort, Esq., from which we have, with very little alteration, taken this article.