The Washington herald., 1907-08-03
Tennis the Oldest of Games
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

While lawn tennis as played to-day is,
less than fifty years old. II is merely an
evolution of court tennis, which is prob
ably the Oldest ball game now played.
Historians assert that ball games have
always been the natural diversion OF
mankind. Human nature is SO consti-
tuted that given a ball and bat, it can
realize one Of the greatest pleasures IN
life by striking the one with the other.
There is more satisfaction. in the words
Of an epigrammatist. in driving ball
straight in a close contest than in keep
Ing the Ten Commandments
The Greeks and Romans of earliest his
tory played ball. Excavations at Cairo
reveal balls made OF leather and wool
which were used by the Egyptians in their
games 400 years ago. Pliny's friend,
Purrina, played ball TO preserve his
health. and while the ancients in Eu-
rope amused themselves by batting small
spheres about, the aboriginal inhabitants
Of North America played lacrosse. The
terminOlogy Of court tennis figures in lit
eTature as early as the beginning OF the
fifteenth century. II was at first
French game, and Il Is we'll known that
a tennis court was the birthplace OF the
French Revolution 1t was popular IN
England as early as the reign Of Henry
Y. and that monarch. as we'll as several
of his successors. was devoted to it. The
French and Spanish kings of the time
nFe I4gIr erar
it when, in Henry V, he tells Of the
French ambassador bringing the young
monarch "a tun Of treasure" from the
Dauphin. Henry asks what the treasure
consists of. and is told that it IS tennis
balls. whereupon he expresses his graft
hcation,
The word tennis is derived from the
French "tenetz." the equivalent Of take
heed" or mark" used TO announce a
stroke. just as the word play" or
ready" is used in games to-day. The
game is silent one nowadays, the play
ers concentrating their energies and wits
upon swift play and consuming little
time in conversation, except for relaxa-
ton between strokes. In the early days
stroke was obligatory. no stroke counting
unless the player called out in advance.
So much shouting was done that IL was
considered an exercise especially for the
lungs and throat TissOt, surgeon major
of the Fourth Regiment CheVauX-legerS,
described it, as late as 1850, as the most
efficacious remedy for paralysis of the
pharynX and tongue, which sometimes
remains thlckened and heavy so that per-
sons stammer."
In the royal game Of tennis. declared
the physician and surgeon, lay the cure
for all such ailments because players
We're necessarily melted TO shout, either
for appeals or claiming scores. Many
Of the shouts across the net in those
days were good, round Oaths. The French
ordinance for the royal and honorable
game of tennis. drawn up in twenty-four
articles, in Paris, in 1882, prescribed in its
opening paragraph that players should
exercise their lungs in different fashion.
You gentlemen who play 10 recTeate
your bodies and exilharate your minds
should do so without disappearing God,
was the language OF a line in the dOCu-
ment. The ordinance was constantly re-
issued in the seventeenth century and in
case Of a prize match it was provided
that players should be fined for each oath
uttered.
During the days of the French Renais-
sance tennis was extremely popular, and
IN al effort to familiarize the young peo-
pie with Latin dialogues bearing upon the
game We're printed in that language and
widely distributed. Erasmus, CrOdier,
Wives, and others learnedIy discussed the
game of the day in the classic idiom, and
q book Of such dialogues was compiled.
That the game was played somewhat
after the manner Of lawn tennis to-day
IS evident from the remarks exchanged
by players. In one Of the dialogues the
two opponents toss rackets TO deter
mine by trough" and smooth" which
shall serve, and the scores thirty" and
'forty-flve" are called out as they are
to-day There was never a stroke played
without the preliminary "eXCipe." which
corresponded 10 the French "tenetz.
Court tennis is stiIl sknlfully played in
France and elsewhere, but persons who
have paralysis Of the phaTynX go 70 AK,
and do not take Tissots advice TO shout
and swear their ailment away.
Court tennis Is played In a court in
cased by four walls. The net is high
at both ends. One side is the service
side and the other the hazard side. Balls
ere served from the service side only.
Spectators sit upon what are called the
''dedans, which are openings in one
wall incIosed with netting. One wall is
a smooth surface with a buttress project
ing from the hazard side, while the other
walls are broken by what are called
pent houses, the latter being so construct
ed as to cause the balls to rebound at
varying angles The buttress on the main
wall is known as the tambour. Beyond,
in the end of the wall OF the hazard court.
IS a screen-covered cupboard called the
grille. Along the left-haud side Of the
wall below the pent house roof is a row
of small openings called galleries, the
farthest being called the winning gal
lery. The court thus partially described
IS intricately marked and the game is
far more intricate than modern lawn ten
mis-.
Lawn tennis as played to-day is one of |
the liveliest athletic contests. It requires /
an imperturbable temper q quick eye, |
rapldity OF mental and physical action. |
and good wind" One reason for its 4
wide popularity has been that it Is a much 4
more inexpensive game than its predeces-
sor, which required a costly court. The 1
modern tennis game is much more rapid /
and constitutes much finer exhibition OF 4
skill than the game played when lawn /
to-