When in Doubt, win the Trick.

Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769) Writer, esp. of card game rules and play.

“Mr. Hoyle’s Game at Whist: Twenty-Four Short Rules for Learners,” No. 12, Hoyle’s Games Improved (1790 ed.) [ed. Charles Jones]
    (Source)

While Hoyle (and even the Hoyle Improved) date back decades earlier, this was the first edition that included this Beginner’s Tip for Whist.