Thocht I preich nocht I can play at the caiche. I wait thair is nocht ane among you all Mair ferilie can play at the fute ball. --Lyndsay s _S. P. Repr_., ii. 243. This language Lyndsay puts into the mouth of a Popish parson. The game seems to be that of ball played with the hand, as distinguished from Football. --Jamieson.
So through the kitchen and through the hall, I choose the fairest of them all, The fairest one that I can see Is ----, so come to me. --Derbyshire (Mrs. Harley). (_b_) A long row of children walk to and fro. One child, facing them on the opposite side, represents the Rover. He sings the first, third, and fifth verses. The row of children sing the second and fourth in response. After the fifth verse is sung the Rover skips round the long row, singing the sixth verse to the tune of Nancy Dawson, or Round the Mulberry bush. He chooses one of them, who goes to the opposite side with him, and the game goes on until all are rovers like himself. See Here comes a Lusty Wooer, Jolly Hooper.
cccxxxv., to which the following rhyme applied:-- My father was a Frenchman, He bought for me a fiddle; He cut me here, he cut me here, He cut me right in the middle. Feed the Dove An undescribed game mentioned in an old poem called _Christmas_ (i. 285), quoted in Ellis s Brand, i. 517: Young men and maidens now at Feed the Dove (with laurel leaf in mouth) play. Find the Ring O the grand old Duke of York He had ten thousand men, He marched them up the hill ago And he marched them down again. And when they were up they were up, And when they were down they were down, And when they were half-way up the hill They were neither up nor down. --Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
_=RUBBERS.=_ The rubber is won by the side that first wins four games of ten points each; and the winning side adds 8 points to its score. _=SCORING.=_ The game score should be kept on a whist marker, using the four large keys on one side for single points, and the single large key on the opposite side for five points. The three small keys are used to show how many games of the rubber have been won by that side. [Illustration: TWO GAMES WON, AND 2 POINTS SCORED ON THE THIRD.] The method of using counters for scoring 10-point games has already been described in connection with Whist. In addition to either markers or counters, there must be a sheet of paper to keep the final results of the games. In scoring, the revoke penalty counts first, tricks next, and honours last. The side first reaching 10 points wins a _=quadruple=_, or game of 4, if their adversaries have not scored; a _=triple=_, or game of 3, if their adversaries have not reached 4; a _=double=_, or game of 2, if the adversaries have not reached 7; and a _=single=_, or game of 1, if their adversaries are 8 or 9 up.
Scarlett Potter mentions that in South Warwickshire it was customary at harvest-homes to give a kind of dramatic performance. One piece, called The Hiring, represents a farmer engaging a man, in which work done by the man, the terms of service, and food to be supplied, are stated in rhymes similar to the above. See Lammas. Lady on the Mountain [Music] --Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme). I. There stands a lady on the mountain, Who she is I do not know; All she wants is gold and silver, All she wants is a nice young man. Choose one, choose two, choose the fairest one of the two. The fairest one that I can see, Is pretty ----, walk with me.
=_ Three of one kind, and two of another kind; no useless cards. [Illustration: 🃅 🂥 🃕 🂽 🂭] 693 to 1 _=Fours.=_ Four cards of one kind, and one useless card. [Illustration: 🃆 🂦 🃖 🂶 🂾*] 4164 to 1 _=Straight flush.=_ Five cards of the same suit, in sequence with one another. [Illustration: 🃈 🃇 🃆 🃅 🃄] 72192 to 1 _=Royal Flush.=_ A straight flush which is ace high. [Illustration: 🃑 🃞 🃝 🃛 🃚] 649739 to 1 When hands are of the same rank, their relative value is determined by the denomination of the cards they contain. For instance: A hand without a pair, sequence, or flush is called by its highest card; “ace high,” or “Jack high,” as the case may be. As between two such hands, the one containing the highest card would be the better, but either would be outclassed by a hand with a pair in it, however small.
The first player to get rid of all his cards receives one counter from the other players for each card they hold. _=SPIN=_ is Newmarket, with one variation. The player holding the diamond ace is allowed to play it in order to get the privilege of stopping one suit and opening another. For instance: The sequence in spades has run to the Nine, and one player holds both spade Ten and diamond ace. If this player saw that another was very likely to win the game at any moment, and he had a pool card to play, he might stop the spade sequence by playing both the Ten and the diamond ace together, announcing _=Spin=_. He can then play a pool card, or begin a new sequence with the lowest of the suit in his hand. He cannot play the diamond ace unless he can play to the sequence first. _=SARATOGA.=_ This varies from Newmarket only in the method of making up the pool. Instead of leaving the players to distribute their stakes at pleasure, each is compelled to place an agreed amount on each of the pool cards, as at Pope Joan.
The pack must not be so shuffled as to expose the face of any card; if a card is so exposed the pack must be reshuffled. LAW II.--CUTTING FOR THE TRUMP. SEC. 1. The dealer must present the cards to his right hand adversary to be cut; such adversary must take from the top of the pack at least four cards and place them toward the dealer, leaving at least four cards in the remaining packet; the dealer must reunite the packets by placing the one not removed in cutting upon the other. If, in cutting or in reuniting the separate packets, a card is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled and cut again; if there is any confusion of the cards or doubt as to the place where the pack was separated, there must be a new cut. LAW III.--DEALING. SEC.
=_ Hearts is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, which rank A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2: the ace is the highest in play, but in cutting it ranks below the deuce. There is no trump suit. When three persons play, the deuce of spades is thrown out of the pack; when five play, both the black deuces are laid aside, and when six play, all four deuces are discarded. It is usual to play with two packs, one being shuffled while the other is dealt. _=COUNTERS.=_ Every deal is a game in itself, and must be settled for in counters immediately. It is usual for each player to begin with fifty counters, which are purchased from some person who is agreed upon to act as banker. When only two play, the game may be scored on a pull-up cribbage board, and settled for at the end. _=PLAYERS.=_ Any number from two to six persons may play, but four is the usual number, each playing for himself against all the others.