QUADRILLE, a little troop or company of cavaliers, pompously dressed and mounted, for the performance of carousals, jousts, tournaments, and other gallant divertise-ments.

Quadrille, a game played by four persons, with forty cards, which are the remains of a pack after the four tens, nines, and eighths ¾re discarded. These are dealt three and three, and one round four, to the right-hand player; and the trump is made by him who plays with or without calling, by naming spades, clubs, diamonds, or hearts, and the suite named is trumps. If the person who names the trump should mistake, and say spades instead of clubs, or if he name two suites, 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 ten; of spades and clubs, king, queen, knave, seven, six, five, four, three, deuce, in all nine. The reason why the ace of spades and ace of clubs are not mentioned is, because they are always trumps, in whatever suite they may be played; the ace of spades being always the first, and the ace of clubs the third trump. The cards rank 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 suites ; basto, the ace of clubs ; ponto, the ace of hearts and diamonds ; king, queen, knave, deuce, three, four, five, six ; in all twelve. 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 eleven. It is here to be observed, that the card which is manill and the second trump is always the lowest in its suite 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 and basto with respect to the superior matadore 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 mils, 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 rightly, 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 Ins 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 suite 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, six 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 remise, and they are beasted what goes upon the game, paying to the other players the consolation and the matadores. If the tricks be equally divided between them, they are likewise beasted; and if they make only four tricks between them it is a remise; if they make less they lose codill, 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 between 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 remise; unless the ombre does not make three tricks, in which case he that is called is not only exempted from paying half the beast, 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 losings; 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 who has once passed cannot be admitted to play; and he who has asked leave cannot refuse to play, unless any one should offer to play without calling.

He who has four kings, may call a queen to one of his kings, except that which is trump. He who 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 suite 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 basto, 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 suite when he plays without calling a king. He who plays without calling must [7:18:764]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 sans appeller (which is commonly, but improperly, called the sans 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 kings; he wins alone or loses alone as in the other case, except the sans appeller, which he does not pay if he loses, or receive if he wins, although he plays alone.

If he plays sans appeller, though he may have a sure game, he is obliged to name his suite; which if he neglects to do, and shows his cards, and says, “I play sans appeller,” in that case neither of the other players can oblige him to play in what suite he pleases, although he should not have one trump in that suite.

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

A player is not obliged to trump when he has none of the suite led, nor play a higher card in that suite 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 suite 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 matadore. He who plays sans 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 . sees 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 beast.

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 beast 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 beasts 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 beasts, 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 op portunity of availing himself of the goodness of his game,' by adding to the usual method of playing the game that of the médiateur, and the favourite suite.

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 person 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 suite. The number of cards and persons is the same at this game as the other, and is played in the same manner.

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

A king is the médiateur, 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 suite. He who asks by calling in the favourite suite, has the preference to him who asks by calling in another; he who asks with the médiateur has the preference to him who asks by calling in the favourite suite, and by playing alone is obliged to make six tricks to win. He who asks with the médiateur in the favourite suite, has the preference to him who asks with the médiateur in any othei' suite, and is obliged to play alone, and to make six tricks.

If sans prendre is played in any other, suite than the favourite, he who plays it has the preference to him who asks only, or with the médiateur, or even he who plays in the favourite suite with the médiateur; and the sans prendre in the favourite suite 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 médiateur he is obliged to play alone, and to make six tricks, as if he played sans 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 médiateur and without the favourite suite 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 médiateur, and to him who plays sans prendre; that is, he who wins the médiateur receives thirteen counters from each; and if he loses by remise he pays twelve to each, and thirteen if by codill. The winner of sans prendre receives seventeen counters from each; and if by remise he loses, he pays sixteen to each, and seventeen if by codill.

The vole with the médiateur 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 suite. There is also a higher game than this, which is paying whatever is agreed to him who happens to hold the two aces in his hand.