Later in the century trump is often referred to. In "Gammer Gurton's Nedle, made by Mr. S., Mr of Art [Bishop Still] 1575," the second piece performed in England under the name of a comedy (performed at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1566), Old Dame Chat thus invites some friends to a game:—
"Chat. What diccon: come nere, ye be no straunger,
We be fast set at trumpe man, hard by the fyre,
Thou shalt set on the king, if thou come a litte nyer.
* * * * * * *
Come nether, Dol, Dol, sit downe and play this game,
And as thou sawest me do, see thou do even the same
There is 5. trumps beside the Queene, ye hindmost yu shalt finde her
Take hede of Sim glover's wife, she hath an eie behind her."
In Eliot's "Fruits for the French" (1593), trump is called "a verie common alehouse game;" and Rice, in his "Invective against Vices" (printed before 1600), observes that "renouncing the trompe and comming in againe" (i.e., revoking intentionally), is a common sharper's trick. Decker, in "The Belman of London" (1608), speaks of "the deceites practised (euen in the fairest and most ciuill companies) at Primero, Saint, Maw, Tromp, and such like games."
The game of trump is also mentioned by Shakespeare in "Antony and Cleopatra," Act iv., scene 12 (first published 1623).
"Ant. My good knave, Eros, now thy Captain is
Even such a body; here am I Antony;
Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.
I made these wars for Egypt; and the Queen,—
Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto 't
A million more, now lost,—she, Eros, has
Packed cards with Cæsar, and false-played my glory
Unto an enemy's triumph."
The repeated punning allusions to card-playing in this passage leave no doubt as to the reference in the last word. Douce ("Illustrations") points out its real meaning, and ridicules Ben Jonson's derivation of the word trump from tromper.
There is abundant evidence to show that trump is a corruption of the word triumph. In addition to the instances already given, the following may be quoted: In Cotgrave's "Dictionarie of the French and English Tongve" (1611), Triomphe is explained as "the Card-game called Ruffe or Trump; also the Ruffe or Trump at it." Minsheu, in "The Guide unto Tongues" (1617), gives, "The Trumpe in cardes. Triumfo, ita dict: quod de cæteris chartis triumphare videatur, quod illis sit præstantior." Seymour, in his "Court Gamester" (1719), says—"The Term Trump comes from a Corruption of the Word Triumph; for wherever they are, they are attended with Conquest." Ash ("Dictionary, 1775") has "Triumph (s. from the Lat. triumphus). * * * A conquering card, a trump; but this sense is now become obsolete. Trump (s. from triumph)."
The derivation of the word ruff or ruffe has caused much speculation. The previous quotations show that it is the same word as ronfa (Ital.) and ronfle (Fr.), and that it is synonymous with the English triumph or trump. Even at the present day many Whist players speak of ruffing, i.e., trumping; and, in the expression a cross-ruff, the word ruff is preserved to the exclusion of the word trump.
The game of ruff-and-honours, if not the same as trump or ruff, was probably the same game, with the addition of certain advantages to the four highest cards of the trump suit. Rabelais includes in his list a game called "les Honneurs," but whether it had any affinity to ruff-and-honours is doubtful. In "Shufling, Cutting, and Dealing, in a Game at Pickquet: being Acted from the Year, 1653. to 1658. By O.P. [Oliver Protector] and others; With great Applause." (1659), the "Old Foolish Christmas Game with Honours" is mentioned. Some writers are of opinion that trump was originally played without honours; but as no description of trump without honours is known to exist, their view must be taken as conjectural. In 1674, Charles Cotton, the poet, published a description of ruff-and-honours in "The Compleat Gamester: or Instructions How to play at Billiards, Trucks, Bowls, and Chess. Together with all manner of usual and most Gentile Games, either on Cards or Dice." Cotton gives a drawing of the game of "English Ruff and Honours," (see frontispiece) and thus describes it:—