OLD MAID  , a

game of cards . Any number may play, and the full pack is used, the Queen of Hearts being removed . The cards are dealt out one by one until exhausted, and each player then sorts his hand and discards the pairs . The dealer then offers his hand, spread out face downwards to the next player, who draws a card, which, if it completes a pair, is discarded, but otherwise remains in the hand . The process continues from player to player, until all the cards have been paired and discarded excepting the odd queen, the holder of which is the " Old Maid." OLDMI%ON, JOHN (1673—1742), English historian, was a son of John Oldmixon of Oldmixon, near Bridgwater . His first writings were poems and dramas, among them being Amores Britannici; Epistles historical and gallant (1703); and a tragedy, The Governor of Cyprus . His earliest historical work was The British Empire in America (1708 and again 1741), which was followed by The Secret History of Europe (1712—1715); by Arcana Gallica, or the Secret History of France for the last Century(1714); and by other smaller writings . More important, how-ever, although of a very partisan character, are Oldmixon's works on English history . His Critical history of England (1724—1726) contains attacks on Clarendon and a defence of Bishop Burnet, and its publication led to a controversy' between Dr Zachary Grey (1688—1766) and the author, who replied to Grey in his Clarendon and Whitlock compared (1727) . On the same lines he wrote his History of England during the Reigns of the Royal House of Stuart (1730) . Herein he charged Bishop Atterbury and other of Clarendon's editors with tampering with the text of the History . From his exile Atterbury replied to this charge in a Vindication, and although Oldmixon continued the controversy it is practically certain that he was in the wrong .

He completed a continuous history of England by

writing the History of England during the Reigns of William and Mary, Anne and George I . (1735) and the History of England during the Reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary and Elizabeth (1739) . Among his other writings are, Memoirs of North Britain (1715), Essay on Criticism (1728) and Memoirs of the Press 1710—1740 (1742), which was only published after his death . Oldmixon had much to do with editing two periodicals, The Muses Mercury and The Medley, and he often complained that his services were overlooked by the government . He died on the 9th of July 1742 .