The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-21
TIE CUE.
HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF the GAME OF
BILLIARDS.

credit of being the inventor of billiards. But
as he fourished in the reign OF Charles III, a. ID.
1850 "a, ard as the game was undoubtedly
known to the English in the reigr OF elizabeth,
il is probable that he only improved and modified
game popular in both countries. Could ii be
clearly proved that he was the absolute inventor
ef this fascinating pasttme, billiard-players OF
all countries should combine to erect an ivory
etatue to his honor, whereon might be inscrised
the names of famous players OF all ages. But
we cannot give the ingenious Frenchman the
entire credit, aud some people have even
asserted that the French got the game from THIS
country. DIR. johnson held this opinion, pos
sibly because he made curious buu-
der about the derivation OF the word
''billiards" 1t comes OF course from piLG, ball,
whence billie and Billiards aud not, rs. several
authorities assert, from the balyards, or sticks
with which the ball was driven along the table.
Additional reason for supposing that we owe
the game as now played To the French may be
found i'm the fact that most of the terms used in
the game, as well as "billiards" itself, as we
have seen, are of French origin. "Bricole,"
coup" or "cou;" and "carombOle," the old
name for "carom," or cannon" are instances
of this; while "crow, or 'huke, has had
double derivation given to it Grow" or
"raccroc,' is from the French ''raccrocher," to
recover; and Guke has been derived from the
Hook of an anchor, seeing that 1t is chance by
which the arm of an anchor holds the ground
rather fanciful derivation.
IL is interesting TO see what mention Of the
game is made by old writers, for the moment
game becomes at all popular illusions to it are
sure to be found in the literature of the day.
We have gathered here n few of such allusious
10 billiards. Locke says, "When the ball obeys
the stroke of the billiard-stick, 1t is not any
action of the ball, but bare passion;" and Boyle
talks of Ivory balls meeting a billiard
table" Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy
mentions that "the ordinary recreations which
we have in winter, and In most solitary times
busy our minds with, cardes, tables, and
dice, shovelboard, chesse play, the philosophers
game, small trunks, shuttlecock, balliards etc"
fIt,o hau hoan mill anta 10 In
game: a Mr.. James Love, or Dance, an actor
and dramatic author who lived in the last CEN
tury says
mot puny billiards, where with sluggish pace,
The duh ball trails before the feeble mace.
Where nothing can your langud spirits move.
Save where the marker bellows out BiX loven
Or when the ball, close -cushiond, slides askew,
Ana to an opening pocket runs-a cou!"
Nilsson, author who wrote Travels in
England" speaks of the game as one common
to all European nations: and another author,
writing in 1854 talks of billiardtables in taverns
Ben Johson has a pretty simile gathered from
the board of green cloth He speaks Of
Nose and cheek withal,
Smooth as is the biard-bali;'
and the poet Spenser makes allusion to it, but
not in a very complimentary spirit. More
modern authors have referred to the game, but
only sparingly; and indeed, the scarcity of allu-
bions to il show that from the earliest times it
was rather the diversion of the rich than of the
poor, account of the expense of the cues
tables balls, and all things connected with it.
There is q curious reference to billiards iu a
payment in the reign of James l. as follows: -
'To Henry Waller, our jOyner for one bylliarde
boarde cont. twelve foote longe aud fower
broade. the frame being walnuttre well wrought
and carved, with eight great skrewe5 aud
narrow board, but the length is the same as that
usual in modern tables; and even the wood
mentioned (walnut) is frequently used for pr-
yate tables at this day. HenriQue Deyigne may
he credit n
raised the game to Its present position among
amueements; but with regard to the invention
of billiards, it is probable that in France, rs was
certainly the case in this country, they had
sort of lawn-blliards, which
afterwards came to be played upon table. To
this improvement of the game, with other modi-
ications, Devigne probably contributed; but
there is no doubt that the game, in its perfected
condition, was of slow growth. Strutt in his
''sports and Pastmes," is probably right when
he says, after giving the French certain
amount of credit for the invention of billiards,
II cannot help thinking it originated from an
ancient game played with small balls upon the
ground; or, indeed, that 1t was when first
instituted the same game transferred from the
played with balls upon the ground, has been re-
vived of late years in the fashionable game of
croQuet for the balls were driven. through a
pass" or hoop fixed into the
fastened into the middle of the billiard
table. A picture in the "School of Recreation
ono represents two gentlemen engaged at the
Billiards of the period. They are standing at q
four-legged table, and knocking the balls
through two passes with clumsy looking curved
maces about two feet long, held in the middle
so that the balls must have been prodded at
certainly not method of play likely to produce
any scientific results. "coae," or king,
placed upright, was also used-the prototype OF
the crOquet stick.
Billiards is first mentioned as an unlawful
game in an Act of Parliament, 80 George II
that is to say, by that act people are prohibited
from playing the game in public houses under a
penalty of ten pounds; but the people specified
are only the lower orders, and the law
Elector of saxony, in 17l0 was
also careful to restrict billiards only to the
upper classes, as we see from some amusing
regulations issued by him in that year. Among
other DEGREES we have, Those who frequent
billiard-reoms must be served by men-persons
Female markers may have been common at the
time, and would probably be popular now in
this country. We only remember to have seen
one in London, in some rooms now closed.
"Shopkeepers' assistants" the Electors regula-
tions continue, ''are prohibited from playing
And here is most salutary rule: The sum
played for not to be more than suited to each
persons position" We wonder how this was
enforced, and who assigned the limit to each
individuals gambling; it must have been diff
cult matter for the host to decide, and he must
have been the arbitrator, for we read that he
was made responsible for the observance of the
regulations, and was fined for any intractiOn oi
them. Such orders would much astonish the
hequenters OF billiard-room in these DAYS,
were they hung up alongside the rules for The
various games
Among the most popular games in the early
days of billiards was curious and complicated
One called the ''fOrtifcation game" Ia this
the table was covered with number of forts
or castles, each surmouuted with it's proper
heavily WaiUhtR1 To