THE rules of the seventeenth century do not call for much comment, except that even at this remote period players lost an end if one foot was not on the ground when in the act of striking. Forfeitures were claimed against slovenly players, in the hope that they might be "reduced to regularity and decency," it being contrary to the rules to lay your hand upon the table or let your sleeve drag upon it. There was also a penalty for letting tobacco ash fall on the table.
We now reach the eighteenth century, during which period billiards in England appears to have struck a bad patch. Early in the century the game was made illegal, by an Act of George II, it being prohibited in public-houses under a penalty of;£10. Amongst the regulations made by the Elector of Saxony, in 1716, was one: "Those who frequent billiard-rooms must be served by men persons," suggesting the probability that female markers were fashionable at this period. It was not until 1730 that the "mace" gave way to the "stick," and cue playing became general.
Hoyle did not mention the game, but after his death, in 1769, billiards finds a place, and in Hoyle's Games revised, published in 1775, considerable space is devoted to it.
Mention is made of no fewer than nineteen different games, including hazard games, carambole or cannon games, the carline game (a species of pool), and fortification billiards, which was something after the style of cork pool. There are over two hundred laws given as governing these various games, and it is interesting to learn that over a hundred and twenty years ago "the push" was barred, it being definitely stated that: "If a striker touches his ball with the instrument twice the stroke is foul," and "If the player follows his ball with the mace, or cue beyond the middle hole, his adversary may make him lead again." In the general directions, Hoyle speaks only of mace play; but, according to the laws, matches could be played with either mace or cue by agreement. It is worthy of note that a player agreeing to play with the point of the cue could not use the butt, but might play with the point over the mace—which no doubt resulted in the invention of the "rest." Right up to the end of the century the 'mace was most in favour in England, as being the more powerful instrument of the two, but foreigners held it in contempt, and were well versed in the use of the cue. Some of the laws then in vogue are interesting and amusing reading, and from them I give the following selections:
"He who blows upon a ball when running maketh the stroke foul, and if his own ball was running towards a hole and is seen by his adversary to blow upon it, he loses two points."
"Whoever strikes the table while the ball is running, maketh the stroke foul."
"If a striker (sic) throws his mace or cue upon the table, so as to baulk his adversary, he causes him to make a foul stroke."
"When a person agrees to play with a cue, he must play every ball within his reach with the point thereof, and if he agrees to play with the butt of the cue, he has no right at anytime to play with the point without permission."
"Every person must be very attentive and listen for the stroke, before he opens the door of the billiard room."
"Those who play ought to be particularly careful and attentive to their strokes when any bets are depending thereon, but even should they play carelessly the bets must in every case be decided by the event."
There are several laws regulating the betting, and a table is given of the "odds at billiards," but several of the rules then set out can be recognised amongst those now in existence.
It is not until well into the present century that any great reform is to be noticed in the constitution of our game, nor improvement in the implements, but when it did start its progress was rapid. At the commencement of the century the game was still played with the mace, and the same rules were in force as prevailed thirty years previously. The mace, however, soon began to lose favour, and when in 1807 a French Captain of Infantry, named Mignaud, invented the leathern tip, it quickly gave way to the cue, which previously used to be roughed with a file and chalked by pressing the wooden point against the whitewashed walls and ceilings. Great improvements in cue manufacture have been accomplished since then, in the matter of calf-cheek tips and balancing, but otherwise the cue of to-day is practically the same as Mignaud left it. Up to 1826 the bed of the table was built of wood, oak for preference, although marble was sometimes used. Nor had any standard size been arrived at, the tables varying from 9 to 12 feet long and from 4 to 6 feet wide. A table 9 feet by 4 feet would be a curiosity! About 1815 chalk for cue tips was introduced, it is believed, by a marker named Carr, who flourished at Bath, and whose employer is said to have first recognised the advantage of the side stroke, which, until the introduction of tips and chalk, had not been practicable.
Carr saw the possibilities of the stroke, and practised it assiduously. Whilst it was still a secret, it is said that Carr attributed it to the chalk he used, with the result that he did a big trade, retailing it at half-a-crown a box. In a book published in 1807 by E. White, is a drawing of a table (without legs, by the way) which shows that the baulk line was much where it is now, and the "D" is also marked. It is a curious fact, however, that the three balls shown in the same engraving are all of different sizes.
The next treatise on the game published in England was a translation, by J. Thurston (the famous maker), of Captain Mignaud's book on the game. A fine engraving, which, through the courtesy of Messrs. Thurston, Catherine Street, we are able to reproduce, graces the book, and from it can be seen the marvellous strides which had been made in billiard table manufacture. There is practically no variation in table and accessories from those in use at the present day, and only the present facilities for lighting are missing. At that time candles had to be utilised, and much of their light was lost by reason of the plate underneath to catch any spots of grease that might fall.
The book contains many interesting diagrams of fancy and trick shots, whilst in an advertisement at the end Mr. Thurston draws attention to his new Chinese billiard table, chiefly intended for the amusement of ladies. This table is octagonal, with a pocket at each corner, and is still in the possession of Messrs. Thurston's Ltd.
It was not until 1835 that the antiquated list cushion gave way to one of vulcanised rubber, and this has been steadily improved, until now it is as near perfection as possible. Meanwhile, the celebrated Edwin Kentfield, of Brighton, had been busy making improvements in tables, cushions, etc., and in 1839 a book on "Scientific Billiards," written by him for J. Thurston, was published. In it Kentfield gives a set of laws and more accurate statements as to the positions of the spots, size of pockets, balls, etc., than had previously been laid down. The game, which at the beginning of the century was twenty-four up still prevailed as late as 1849; but the option of playing 50, 100, or even more up is then given in the rules. To obviate the giving of points, Kentfield (who held the title of Champion until 1849, after Carr had resigned through illness) gives rules for several games which have long since gone out of fashion. These included "cramp games," in which the better player scored only from one or two pockets to his adversary's five or four; "The Go-back Game," in which each time the adversary made a cannon or hazard, all the points which the go-back player had made were taken off and he started again. This was considered equal to giving about six in sixteen. "The commanding game," in which one player was at liberty to choose the ball his adversary should play at. "The stop, or non-cushion game," the player losing one point when his ball touched a cushion, which was considered equal to giving about half the game; and "the white ball against the red," where each player had one ball only to play at, he playing at the white, giving presumably seven points out of sixteen.
In 1849, John Roberts, sen., appeared on the scene, and from that time to the present is largely an open book to present-day devotees of the art; for there are probably few of us who in our early days did not gain our experiences amid surroundings and implements of antiquated pattern. This state of things prevailed in the country to a very great extent, and my own experience was gained on a table on which in places cloth there was none and darns were frequent, whilst in an adjoining room was the table on which a few months later W. J. Peall made his then record break of 1,989.
William Cook, who in 1870 wrested the title of Champion from John Roberts, sen, whose reign had lasted over twenty-one years, is credited with remarking, when it was proposed to reduce the size of the pockets to the fall so as to "bar the spot," that he did not care, he could "play on a tea tray." That term forcibly explains the difference between the class of table with which our ancestors had to be content, and the elaborate and highly-finished articles which are now to be found in almost all private and public rooms throughout the country.