How many can play at it , and with what Cards they are to play .

There can onely three play at it , and they are dealt nine cards a piece : so by discarding the Eights , Nines , and Tens out of the Pack , there remains thirteen Cards in the Stock .

Of the Trump .

There is no turning up Trump , nor no Trump but what the Player pleases , the first hand having alwayes the choice to play or pass , after him the second , &c.

Of the Stakes .

For Stakes there are two sorts of Marks or Counters , the greater & the less ; for example , if you value the great ones at 12. pence , the lesser may be pence the piece ( and so according as you please ) of which greater Marks you stake each one one for the Game : and the lesser for passing , for the hand , if you be eldest , and for taking in , giving for each Card you take in , one Mark or Counter .

Of the names of the Cards , and order in ranking them . Of the Black Suits . 1. The Spadillio , or Ace of Spades . 2. The Mallilio , or black Deuces of either suit 3. The Basto , or Ace of Clubs . 4. The King . 5. Queen . 6. Knave . 7. Seven . 8. Six . 9. Five . 10 Four . 11. And Three . Of the Red Suits . 1. The Spadillio ; or Ace of Spades . 2. The Mallilio , or Sevens of either Suit . 3. The Basto , or Ace of Clubs . 4. The Punto , or Ace of Hearts or Diamonds according as they are Trump . 5. The King . 6. The Queen . 7. The Knave . 8. The Deuce . 9. The Tre . 10. The Four . 11. The Five . 12. The Six .

Observations .

By this you see first that the Spadillio , or Ace of Spades is alwayes the first Card , and always Trump , be the Trump what suit soever ; and the Basto , or Ace of Clubs always the third . Secondly , that of Black , there are but eleven Trumps , & of Red twelve . Thirdly , that the red Ace enters in the fourth place when it is trump , and then is called the Punto , otherwise 't is onely rankt after the Knave , and is onely call'd the Ace . Fourthly , that ( excepting the Deuces of Black , and Sevens of Red , which are call'd the Mallilio's , and are alwayes the second Cards when they are Trumps ) the least small Cards of the Red are always best , and the greatest of the Black .

Of the Matadors .

The Matadors or killing Cards , as the Spadillio , Mallilio , and Basto , are the three chief Cards , and for these , when they are all in a hand ( else not ) the others pay three of the greater Marks or Counters the piece ; and though there be no counting Matadors without these three , yet with these three for foundation , you may count as many as you have Cards in an interrupted series of Trumps ; for all which , the others are to pay you one Mark or Counter the piece , even to nine sometimes .

Of taking in , and the order and manner of it .

Who has the first Hand , has choice of playing the Game , of naming the Trump , and of taking in as many or as few Cards as he pleases , and after him the second , &c.

Observations .

First , he is to ask if any one will play without taking in , ( when they have the choice of those who will not . ) Secondly , he is never to take in , or play , unless he have three sure Tricks in his hand at least : To understand which the better , we must know

The End of the Game .

The End of the Game is ( as at Beast ) to win most Tricks ; whence he who can win five tricks of the Nine , has a sure Game ; or if he win Four , and can so divide the Tricks , as one may win Two , the other Three : if not , 't is either Codillio or Repuesto , and the Player loses and makes good the Stakes .

Of the Codillio .

They call it Codillio when the Player is beasted , and another wins more Tricks then he ; when this takes up the Stakes , and tother makes it good : where note , that although the other two , always combine against the Player to make him lose , yet they all do their best ( for the common good ) to hinder any one from winning , onely striving to make it Repuesto .

Of the Repuesto .

They call it Repuesto when the Player wins no more Tricks then another : for example , if he win but four , another four , & the third but one , or each of them win three Tricks the piece ; in wch case the Plaier doubles the Stake , without any ones winning it , & it remains so doubled for the advantage of the next Player , &c. Whence you may collect , that the Player is as much concern'd in making Repuesto , in case of necessity , as any of the rest , by which means the Stakes oftentimes increasing to a considerable sum , The Player is to be very wary what Games he playes .

What Games are to be played .

One is never to play unless he have three sure Tricks in his hand at least , as we have said before ; as the three Matadors , or six or seven good Trumps without them ; where note , the Kings of any Suit are alwayes accounted as good as Trumps ( since nothing but Trumps can win them ) mean while all other Cards but them and Trumps , are to be discarded .

Observations .

He who plays having taken in , the next is to consider the goodness of his Game , and to take in more or less , according as his Game is probably like to prove good or bad , always considering , that 't is as much his advantage that the third have a good Game to make it Repuesto , as himself . Neither is any one , for Covetousness of saving a Counter or two , to neglect the taking in , that the other may commodiously make up his Game with the Cards which he leaves ; and that no good Cards may lye dormant in the Stock , except the Player playes without taking in when they may refuse to take in , if they imagine he has all the Game .

Of playing without taking in .

When one has a sure Game in his hand , he is to play without taking in , when the others are to give him each of them one of the greater Marks or Counters , as he is to give them , if he play without taking in , a Game that is not sure , and loses it .

Of the Voll .

If you win all the Tricks in your hand , or the Voll , they likewise are to give you one Mark or Counter the piece ; but then you are to declare before the fifth Trick , that you intend to play for the Voll , that so they may keep their best Cards , which else seeing you win five Tricks ( or the Game ) they may carelesly cast away .

Of the Forfeitures .

If you Renounce , you are to double the Stake , as also if you have more or fewer Cards then Nine , ( to avoid all wrangling and fowl play ) to which end you are carefully to count your Cards both in dealing and taking in , before you look on them ; besides , according to the Rigor of the Game , if you speak any thing that may discover your Game , or anothers ( excepting only Gagno , as we shall declare afterwards ) or play so , as wittingly to hinder the making it Repuesto or Codillio ( and if ignorantly , you are not fit to play . )

Of playing Trumps .

In playing Trumps you are to note , that if any playes an ordinary Trump , and you have onely the three best Cards , or Matadors , singly , or conjointly in your hands , you may refuse to play them , without Renouncing , because of the priviledge which those Cards have , that none but commanding Cards can force them out of your hands ; as for example , the Spadillio forces the Mallilio , and the Mallilio the Basto ; for all the rest you are to follow Trump .

Of what you are to say .

You are to say nothing but onely I pass , or play , or Gagno , that is , 't is mine , simply , when you play your Card , to hinder the third from taking it ; or Gagno de l' Re when you play your Queen to hinder them from taking it with the King , &c. but this you cannot say till it come unto your turn .

General Rules .

't is impossible to provide against all accidents in the Game , onely these general Rules may be observ'd in playing : First , ( the chiefest Art consisting in knowing the goodness of ones Game , and how it may be improved to the best ) one is never to win more then one trick , if they cannot win more then two , because of the advantage they give the Player by it in dividing the tricks : Secondly , you are alwayes to win the trick from the Player if you can , unless you let it pass for more advantage , wherein note the second is to let it pass to the third ; if he have the likelier Game to beast the Player , or if he be likely to win it .

Of the Tenaces .

There may be divers advantages in refusing to take the players trick , but the chiefest is if you have Tenaces in your hands , that is , two Cards , which if you have the leading , you are sure to lose one of them . If the player lead to you , you are sure to win them both ; for example , if you have Spadillio and Basto in your hand , & he have the Mallilio & another Trump , if you lead you lose one of them ; for either you lead your Spadillio , and he plays his lesser Trump upon it , and wins your Basto , the next Trick with his Mallilio , and so the contrary ; whereas if he leads , he loses both ; for if he lead his Mallilio , you take it with your Spadillio , and with your Basto win the other Trump ; or if he lead with that , you take it with your Basto ; and then your Spadillio wins his Mallilio , and 't is called Tenaces , because it so catches you betwixt them , there is no avoiding it , &c.

Of the Player's playing his Game for his best Advantage .

Of this ( because every one plays according to his own fancy ) I will onely say , that if you are not sure of winning five Tricks , but have onely the three Matadors ( as for example ) & Kings be your Auxiliary Cards , if you have the leading , you are to begin with a Matador or two before you play your Kings , to fetch out those trumps perhaps which might have trumped them ; & if you have three Matadors with two other trumps your best way is first to play your Matadors , to see how the Trumps lie , and if both follow , you are sure that if the Trump be Red , there remains onely one Trump in their hands ; if black , none at all ; it importing so much that the player count the Trumps , as the miscounting onely one , do's often lose the Game . In fine , if they have but a weak Game , they are to imitate cunning Beast Players , in dividing the Tricks , & consult them in playing of their Cards . And these few Instructions may suffice , leaving the rest to each one's particular observation .

Certain other nice Questions there are ; as whether any may look on the Tricks to see what Cards are played beside the Ombre , or he who plays the Game , which ordinarily is resolved on the Affirmative ; or when any Cards are left in the Stock , whether any may look on them or no , which the Table led once , usually is done . Onely observe to lay your Tricks Angle-wise ,

configuration shaped like an inverted uppercase L

configuration shaped like a rectangle with the bottom side missing

configuration shaped like a rectangle with the left side missing

, or

configuration shaped like an uppercase N

configuration shaped like the mirror image of an uppercase Greek sigma

, to the end that one may easily perceive whether they be two , three , or four .