Spenser's Fairie Queen
SPENSER'S FAIRIE QUEEN
Two Entire Packs of Cards
RULES
- The foundations follow suit.
- If during the deal two or more kings turn up in succession, cards can only be placed on the last one.
- Available cards may be transferred from one column to another in descending sequence and need not follow suit.
- Only the lowest card of each column is available, until its removal releases the one above it.
- Any available card may be transferred to a single king, and sequences may be placed upon that card as upon those of the other columns.
PLAY
Take one king from the pack, and place it at the left-hand upper corner. Upon this king you place the cards as they are dealt, in perpendicular column, each card half covering the preceding one, until a second king appears, which must be placed next to the first one, and becomes in its turn the head of a second column (Rule II). When a third king appears, it is placed next to the second one, and is treated in like manner, and so on until the pack is exhausted, cards being always placed on the last king turned up. Thus some kings will head lines of different lengths (see Note 3, on next page), and some will probably remain alone, and this, as will be seen, is very advantageous.
During the deal, aces as they turn up are placed in the spaces reserved.
The eight aces form the foundation cards and ascend in sequence to queens (Rule I). (See Note 2.)
Suitable cards may be played as they turn up in the deal, and after playing each, the columns should be examined, as the playing of a card may bring other available ones (Rule IV) into use.
When the deal is complete, the tableau must be carefully examined.
Available cards may now be transferred from one column to another (Rule III) or placed on the single kings (Rule V) or played on the foundations. And it is sometimes better not to play cards, but to leave them to receive sequences.
It is not advisable to transfer queens, as they cannot be moved again until required to complete the foundations, but it is often necessary to do so, when their removal would release cards urgently needed. The success of the game greatly depends on the skill of the player in transferring the sequences backward and forward so as to release as many cards as possible. There is no re-deal. (See Note 1.)
Note 1.—Supposing that you have two single kings and wish to release a knave of hearts which is blocked with a descending sequence, the last card of that sequence being a four, place the four and then the five on the two spare kings. The six is thus released, and if a seven should be at the bottom of any other column, you transfer the six on to it, and also the five and the four, thus again freeing the two kings. Now put up the seven and the eight (of the column you are trying to work off) on to those kings. Then transfer the seven to the eight, and place the nine on the remaining king. You have now only the ten left to block your knave of hearts; you will probably find, or be able to release, some other available knave, on which you will place the ten. In this somewhat complicated manner you arrive at the desired knave of hearts. The combinations are endless.
Note 2.—The spaces for the foundations are not marked for want of room.
Note 3.—It often happens that so many cards have to be dealt on to one king before the next one appears that the column can no longer be continued in a straight line. The player must, therefore, twist the cards to gain room (see tableau), the small crosses show the available cards.
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The Terrace
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The Labyrinth
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