[430] The ombre had the privilege of deciding which suit should be trumps.
[431] The whole idea of this description of a game at ombre is taken from Vida's description of a game at Chess in his poem intitled Scacchia Ludus.—Warburton.
Pope not only borrowed the general conception of representing the game under the guise of a battle, but he has imitated particular passages of his Latin prototype. Vida's poem is a triumph of ingenuity, when the intricacy of chess is considered, and the difficulty of expressing the moves in a dead language. Yet the original is eclipsed by Pope's more consummate copy.
[432] Spadillio is from Espadilla, the Spanish term for the ace of spades; and Basto is the Spanish name for the ace of clubs. Whatever suit was trumps the ace of spades was the first card in power, and the ace of clubs the third. Manillio, the second in power of the three Matadores, varied with the trumps. When spades or clubs were trumps Manillio was the two of trumps, and when hearts or diamonds were trumps Manillio was the seven of trumps.
[433] Dryden's MacFlecknoe:
The hoary prince in majesty appeared.
[434] Pam, the highest card in loo, is the knave of clubs.
[435] These lines are a parody of several passages in Virgil.—Wakefield.
[436] Dryden's Æn. vi. 384:
Just in the gate, and in the jaws of hell.—Wakefield.