The Evolution of Billiards
THE fascinating winter pastime has made such rapid strides recently, both in completeness and popularity, as to warrant the compilation of a short treatise on the evolution of the game. Few "knights of the green cloth" know, and fewer probably care, whence their favourite pastime came, and yet there must be a certain amount of interest in tracing its inception. Therefore I set about searching amongst musty MS. and drawings, in the hope of finding out whence "Billiards as she is played" was evolved.
That the game is an ancient one, there can be no doubt, although it would be hardly safe to conjecture such great possibilities as are suggested by Mr. E. T. Reed in his sketch (re-produced by the kind courtesy of the proprietors of Punch) which adorns this page.
Very early records of the game there are none — that is, not earlier than the sixteenth century—so that its origin is, to a great extent, decently shrouded in the mists of antiquity, and one is called upon to consider which is best of the many probable—and improbable—thestories which have been advanced as to when and where the most popular of all indoor games originated.
England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have all been credited with being the birthplace of billiards, by various chroniclers. The earliest mention of the game I can find is by Charles Cotton, a friend and collaborator of Isaac Walton, who, in a book published in 1674, writes of billiards as "the most gentile, cleanly, and ingenious game;" which, he says, was first played in Italy, but in another page he gives Spain the credit of being its birthplace.
Again, some authorities give the credit of the invention to France, where the idea came from an ancient German diversion; but at least two reliable French writers ascribe its inception to England. Bouillet, whose theory is no doubt the most feasible, says: "Billiards appears to be derived from the game of bowls. It was anciently known in England, where, perhaps, it was invented. It was brought into France by Louis XIV., whose physician recommended this exercise." The Academie des Jeux also gives England the credit of the invention. Joseph Strutt, the antiquary, writing in 1801, propounds the theory that "the game originated in the ancient game of 'Paille-Maille,' played on a table instead of on the ground, an improvement which answered two good purposes; it precluded the necessity of the player kneeling or stooping to play the bowl, and accommodated the game to the limits of a room." Mrs. A. B. Gomme suggests that a solar origin might easily be found for billiards, the red ball being the red orb of the setting luminary; but this is, of course, absurd, as originally but two white balls were used, and there can be little doubt that billiards really sprang from the game of bowls.
But, although bowls had a good deal to do with our great winter pastime, there is a game even older than this which has a still more important bearing on billiards. This was a very ancient game, known as "kayles," and a glance at the accompanying drawing, taken from a very ancient work, shows that ' kayles"has a very decided leaning towards billiards, especially when compared with the reproduction of a book-plate published in 1674. The first, which is taken from a MS. published in the thirteenth century, shows that, although four centuries intervene, the same idea prevailed when Charles II. was king, at which time, by the way, the pastime, like so many healthy sports, dropped into disrepute. Indeed, from the beginning of the century it began to fall on evil times, owing, as Cotton puts it, to the "spunging caterpillars who swarm where any billiard tables are set up."
The terms used in billiards rather suggest a French origin. There is the name itself, unless Dr. Johnson's theory that it is derived from the English" balyards "(a game played with balls and sticks) is correct. Johnson quotes as his authority Spencer, who in "Mother Hubbard's Tale" published in 1591, makes the ape entertain young gallants with "balyards farre unfit, And shuttlecocks, misseeming manlie wit."
It is not until the sixteenth century that anything definite as to the game is really known. By this time, however, it was undoubtedly well known throughout the country, for there is ample proof that the game was played before the reign of Elizabeth. About the same period, an Italian game known as"trucks"was in vogue. It was not unlike billiards, but was played on a table about three feet longer. The game was not popular in this country, apparently, although we find mention of a table being in use at Tower Hill early in the seventeenth century. At this time the fame of billiards had spread to the sleepy little town of Stratford-on-A von, for Shakespeare, in "Antony and Cleopatra" (Act II, s. V.) makes Cleopatra, in the absence of Antony, invite her attendant to join in a game: "Let's to billiards Come, Charmian."
Fancy—billiards as a pastime of the amorous queen of Egypt! but we may remind readers that the game did not take place.
With the advent of the seventeenth century, the reserve which seemed to permeate writers of the preceding century disappeared, and mention is made of the game by most of the leading writers of the time. Early in the century we have a pretty simile by Ben Johnson: " Even nose and cheek withal, Smooth as is a billiard ball."
There is mention of the game in a comedy," The Woman's Prize,"by Fletcher, which is referred to in the office book of Sir Henry Herbert, in 1633, and it is then spoken of as "an auld play." Locke (1632-1704) in his "Essay on the Human Understanding," says, "When the ball obeys the billiard stick, it is not any action of the ball but bare passion."Boyle (1627) speaks of"ivory balls meeting on a billiard table,"and mention is also made of it by Gayton in his notes to"Won Quixote"(1654), and by Misson, in his" Travels in England."
In 1674, Evelyn described a billiard table in the possession of the Portuguese Ambassador. He mentions that the balls were struck with sticks shod with silver or brass, whilst in the annals of the reign of James I. (1603-1625) there is an entry, "payment to a joyner for a billiard board made of walnut wood."
Charles Cotton was the first to write at any length on the game, and his book," The Compleat Gamester,"published m 1674, is brimful of interesting matter. Our third sketch which, as before mentioned, is taken from the frontispiece, is thus explained by the author: " Billiards from Spain, at first derived its name, Both an ingenious and cleanly game.
One gamester leads (the table green as grass), And each like warriors strive to gain the pass.
But in the contest, ere the pass be won, Hazard are many into which they run.
Thus whilst we play on this terrestrial stage, Nothing but hazard doth attend each age."
Mention of the stage causes us to divert for one moment to refer to a comedy by Thomas Corneille, acted in Paris in 1676, in which a ballet of cards was included. An illustration shows a slave attending one of the queens, as representing billiards.
To return to Cotton and his book. He describes the table of his time as oblong, railed round, which rail or ledge was"a little swelled, or stuffed with fine flax or cotton. "The superficies of the table were covered with green cloth the finer and more freed from knots the better it is." He goes on to say "the board must be levelled as exactly as may be, so that a ball may run true on any part of the table without leaning to any side thereof, but what, by reason of ill-seasoned boards, which are subject to warp, or the floor on which it stands being uneven, or in time by the weight of the table and the gamesters yielding and giving way, there are very few tables to be found true; and therefore such as are exactly leveled are higher valuable (sic) by a good player; for at a false table it is impossible for him to show the excellence of his art and skill, whereby bunglers many times, by knowing the windings and tricks of the table have shamefully beaten a very good gamester, who, at a true table would have given him three in five." It may be as well to mention here that the game then played was 5 up by daylight, or 7 if odds were given, and 3 by candlelight, or more, according to the odds. No such restrictions, however, were placed on the game as played in private houses. The hoop, which appears in our sketch, was known as "port," and the pin as the "king;" both being made of ivory, whilst two ivory balls were used, the red ball being introduced much later with the "carambole," or cannon game, which is undoubtedly of French origin. In speaking of balls Cotton says: "Where note, if the balls be not completely round you can never expect good proof in your play!" The sticks were heavy, made of Brazil or some other hard wood, and tipped with ivory, whilst the pockets, it will be noticed, for the making of hazards are all placed at the ends of the tables. (To be concluded.)