Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/48

 NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. vn. JAN. is, 191*

belonged to three classes. The highest was a Flush, being the whole hand in suit. The next was a Prime, having its four cards of four suits. And the lowest class was Points. In the Points and also in the other classes, to determine the exact rank of a hand in each a Seven was value for twenty-one points, a Six for eighteen, an Ace* for sixteen, a Five for fifteen, and Fours, Threes, and Twos for the pips on their faces. The highest total was the best Point hand, and also the best hand in its own class. When two or more hands were exactly equal the eldest won the pool. This most likely was the primitive method, but various additions soon crept in : Points were confined to cards in suit ; a Seven, Six, and Ace in suit, reckoning fifty-five, was placed in a class by itself ; Double - Pair-Royals, and afterwards Pair-Royals, and Pairs had distinct values, &c. The deals went round in order, with new stakes, &c.

The six-card Primero had usually the Hombre pack, but sometimes the full pack was employed. The Court cards were reckoned at ten points each the others as in the four-card game ; and when the com- plement of the cards (the Eights, Nines, and Tens) was included, they counted for the pips on their faces ; ten points were always added to the Two, Three, and Four, when the Court cards were included. As a hand of six cards would render a Prime im- possible, it was necessary that the players discarded two cards each from the dealt hand, in substitution for all other discarding and drawing.

Ambigu, first described in the Paris Academic of 1659, is still in vogue on the Continent. It is played with a pack of forty cards, consisting of all the pip cards. The hand is four cards two cards dealt at first, and the other proceedings are very similar to Primero as detailed above. The cards, however, count for just the pips on their faces, the classes being enlarged. The highest is a Fredon four cards of the same kind, such as four Fives. The next is a Flush four cards of the same suit. The next is a Tricon, such as three Twos. The next is a Sequence, three adjacent cards of the same suit, such as the Five, Six, and Seven of Clubs. The next is a Prime four cards all of different su ts. And the lowest class is the Point, two or three cards of the same suit.* A translation of the game was published in London by Newbery in a book

Sixes, has no value in this game.
 * It will be observed that a Pair, such as two

called 'The Academy of Play' (1764 r Horr ; 1768, Jessel).

"Hefacithe owte at a fflusshe, with, shewe, take all." John Skelton's ' Speake Parrot r (c. 1529), 424.

" Item the same day [6 October, 1532] delivered to the kinges grace to play at prymero with my lorde of Rocheford and master Bryan vK. xiijs,. iiijd." ' Privy Purse Expences of King Henry the Eighth.'

"It is. . . .lerned sooner. . . .thanne Primero- or Gleeke." Elyot's ' Knowledge ' (1533), Pre- face.

" Some matched themselves at a new game called Primero. . . .Primero, now as it hath most use in courts, so there is most deceit in it."- Gilbert Walker's ' Manifest Detection .... of Dice Play' (1552). To checke at Chesse, to heave at Maw, at Macke-

to passe the time,

At Coses or at Saunt to sit, or set their rest at Prime.

George Turbervile's ' Booke of Faulconrie r (1575), 77.

" Our brother Westchester had as Hue playe twentie nobles in a night, at Priemeero on the- cards." ' Hay any Work ' (1589), A iij b.

" Playing at Cent, and at Triumph, though not so far forth as at Primero of Almaigne." Richard Carew's ' J. Huarte's Examination of Men's Wits '' (1594).

" Primero, why I thought thou hadst not been so much gamester as to play at it." Robert Greene's * Tu Quoque ' (1599).

" He hath Gardes for any kind of game, Pri- mero, Saunt ; or whatsoeuer name." Samuel Rowlands's ' Letting of Hvmors Blood in the Head Vaine ' (1600), iii. 58.

Falstaff. I never prospered since I foreswore myself at Primero. Shakespeare's ' Merrv Wives of 'Windsor' (1600), IV. v.

" One of them was my prentice, Mr. Quicksilver here. .. .would play his hundred pounds at Gresco or Primero as familiarly (and all o' my purse) as any bright piece of crimson on 'em all." Ben Jonson's (&c.) ' Eastward Hoe ' (1605).

" Deceipts practised, even in the fayrest and most civill companies, at Primero, Saint, Maw, Trump, and such like games." Thomas Dekker's 1 Belman of London ' (1608), F 2.

" But keep the gallant 'st company and the best of games Gleek and Primero." Ben Jonson's ' Alchemist ' (1610), V. iv.

Lovell. Came you from the king, my lord ?

Gardiner. I did, Sir Thomas ; and left him at

primero With the Duke "of Suffolk.

Shakespeare's ' King Henry VIII.' (1613), V. i.

But what shall bee our game ? Primero ?

Gleeke ? Or One and Thirty, Bone-Ace, or New-Cut ?

' Machiv ell's Dogge ' (1617).

" Your Prim 's far inferior to their Flush." J. Davies's ' Wittes Pilgrimage ' (c. 1618). At Primifisto, Post-and-Payre, Primero, Maw, Whip-Her-Ginny, he 8 a lib'ral hero. John Taylor's ' Motto. Et Habeo,' &c. (1621)