and pairing is always dangerous on account of the possibility of its being capped by a pair royal. Pairing is often declined, as it is common to open the play with a card of which a duplicate is held (except with two fives). When leading from a sequence, the middle card should not be led. If a close card is played to the one led it often happens that the adversary wishes a run of three to be made against him, he holding a card that will complete a run of four. Having the choice of pairing or of making fifteen, prefer the latter ; but if a seven or eight is led, and a fifteen is made, the adversary has the chance of a run of three. During the play, a four should not be added to a call of seven (making eleven), as if paired the opponent scores four. All similar combinations should be avoided, as twelve made with a three, twenty-seven with a four, twenty-eight with a three, and twenty-one with any card, as then a tenth card (of which there are sixteen) comes in for two. It is very desirable to win the go, as this makes a difference of at least two to the score in each deal. The best chance of winning the go with two low cards and a high one is to begin with a low card, with two high cards and a low one to begin with a high one. The dealer has
the best chance of making the go.The most important guide to the play is the score. The player who is ahead in the game should endeavour to keep so by playing wide cards, declining pairs, and declining to make fifteen with close cards. This is called playing off. The one who is behind in the game should play on, i.e., score whenever he can, running the risk of a larger score being made against him. To calculate whether to play on or play off, the average points scored should be kept in mind. Each player ought to reckon slightly over six in hand and play and five in crib, or seventeen and a half in two deals to be at /tome. A player who scores more than the average and leaves his adversary six or seven points in arrear is safe at home. When at home it is best to play off ; when the adversary is safe at home it is best to play on.
Near the end of the game and wanting points in play to play out, it is advisable to keep two low cards and one high one.
At six-card cribbage it is not so important to baulk the crib as at five-card. The average scores are twelve for the non-dealer, seventeen for the dealer. At the end of the second deal a player is at home at twenty-nine holes. In the first deal it is an advantage to exceed the average, con sequently both players with fair hands should play on ; but with poor hands they should play off.
Laws.—Cutting.—1. There must be a fresh cut for deal after every game, unless rubbers are played. 2. If in cutting for deal or start more than one card is exposed, adversary may choose which card he pleases. 3. Errors in cutting to the dealer neces sitate a fresh cut. Dealing.—4. Cards must be dealt by one at a time. If two are dealt together, error may be rectified, if it can be done by moving one card only ; otherwise non-dealer marks two holes, and there must be a fresh deal. 5. If dealer exposes his own cards, no penalty. 6. Faced card in pack necessitates a fresh deal. 7. Player dealing out of turn, error can be recti fied prior to start being turned up ; otherwise not. 8. Non- dealer marks two holes, and has the option of a fresh deal (a) if dealer exposes any of non-dealer s cards, and (b) if dealer gives too many or too few cards to either player. In b cases non-dealer may look at his hand before electing ; if he elects to stand the deal when he has a surplus card he returns a card unshown to the pack ; if, when the dealer has a surplus card, he draws one and looks at it ; if when either has too few cards, imperfect hand is com pleted from pack. Laying out.—9. If either player lays out when he holds too many cards, adversary marks two holes, and has option of a fresh deal. If he stands the deal he draws surplus card from offender s hand and looks at it. 10. If either player lays out with too few cards he must play with his hand short. 11. If a player takes back a card laid out, adversary marks two holes, and has option of fresh deal. 12. Crib must not be touched before hand is played. Playing.—13. Player playing with too many cards, Same penalty as in law 9. Playing with too few cards, no penalty. 14. Card once played that will come in cannot be taken. up again. Card that will not come in shown in play, no penalty. 15. If two cards are played together the one counted is deemed to be played. 16. If a player at six-card cribbage or at three or four handed cribbage neglects to play a card that will come in, adver sary may require it to be played, or may mark two holes. 17. Miscounting during play no penalty. Showing and scoring.—18. When reckoning, cards must remain exposed until adversary is satisfied. If a player mixes his cards with the pack, or hand and crib together, before adversary is satisfied, he forfeits score. 19. If a player scores more than he is entitled to, adversary may correct his score, and add points overscored to his own. This law applies also to placing peg in game hole in error. Scoring two few, no penalty. Player is not entitled to any assistance in reckoning. 20. If a player touches his opponent s pegs except to correct an overscore, or touches his own pegs when he has no score to make, his adversary marks two holes. 21. If a player displaces his fore most peg he must put it behind the other. If he displaces both, adversary may place hindmost peg where he believes it to have been, and the other peg behind it.
"the Admirable Crichton," was the son of Robert Crichton, lord-advocate of Scotland in the reign of James VI., and was born at Eliock, in Dumfriesshire. He was sent when ten years old to Saint Salvator s College, St Andrews, where he took his master s degree at fifteen. In 1577 he was still living in Scotland ; some time after that date, however, a quarrel with his father, who had become a Protestant, drove him to France. In Paris his dialectics and his sword-play are said to have gained him equal admiration ; and, according to Urquhart s very doubtful story, a contest in twelve languages resulted in an easy victory over the whole staff of the Sorbonne. His Parisian triumphs were followed by a couple of years of obscure campaigning in the French army, but in 1580 he appeared at Venice. A Latin poem addressed to Aldus Manutius laid the founda tion of a lasting friendship with the great printer, who dedicated his edition of Cicero s Paradoxa to Crichton, and, according to some, conferred on him still more substantial favours; he also became intimate with Sperone Speroni, and with Lorenzo Massa and Giovanni Donati. His first public display was the delivery of an address to the doge and senate, whom he astonished with his eloquence and oratorical grace ; and he followed this up with a series of disputations on mathematical, theological, and philosophical subjects, which so extended his fame that it was reckoned the highest honour to Mazzoni, a famous dialectician, thrice to have met and vanquished him in argument. But these exertions produced an illness which held him prostrate for four months. At Padua, the scene of his next exhibition, he astonished the assembled professors by extemporizing in succession a Latin poem, a daring onslaught on certain Aristotelian errors, and an impassioned oration in praise of ignorance. His return to Venice was signalized by the publication of the challenge preserved by Aldus Manutius, in which he undertook not only to refute innumerable errors in Aristotelians, mathematicians, and schoolmen, but to meet his opponents on any ground, and to conduct the dispute either logically, or according to the secret doctrine of numbers, or in a hundred sorts of verse ; and in the church of San Paolo and San Giovanni the young Scotsman held his own for three days against all comers. He then seems to have quitted the republic for Mantua, where he had been appointed tutor to Vincenzo Gonzaga, heir to the dukedom. There he distinguished himself, according to Urquhart, by killing a professional duellist, who had challenged and vanquished many of the best swordsmen of Italy, and by playing before the court some fifteen characters in succession, keeping the stage for five hours. His brilliance made men envious, and he is said to have sup planted the prince in the affections of his mistress. One July evening in 1582 he was attacked by three masquers in the streets of Mantua, But he fought so well that their
leader to save his life was forced to discover himself. It
