consequent inattention, by which more is afterwards lost than was gained by the preceding advantage, while misfortunés produce more care and attention, by which the loss may be recovered, will learn not to be too much discouraged by any present success of his adversary, nor to despair of final good fortune upon every little check he receives in the pursuit of it.

That we may, therefore, be induced more frequently to choose this beneficial amusement in preference to others which are not attended with the same advantages, every circumstance which may increase the pleasure of it should be regarded; and every action or word that is unfair, disrespectful, or that in any way may give uneasiness, should be avoided, as contrary to the immediate intention of all parties, which is to pass the time agreeably.

Therefore, 1. If it is agreed to play according to the strict rules, then those rules are to be exactly observed by both parties, and should not be insisted on for one side while deviated from by the other; for this is not equitable.

2. If it is agreed not to observe the rules exactly, but one party demands indulgences, he should then be as willing to allow them to the other.

3. No false move should ever be made to extricate yourself out of a difficulty or to gain an advantage; for there can be no pleasure in playing with a person once detected in such unfair practices.

4. If your adversary is long in playing, you ought not to hurry him, or express any uneasiness at his delay. You should not sing, nor whistle, nor look at your watch, nor take up a book to read, nor make a tapping with your feet on the floor or with your fingers upon the table, nor do anything that may distract his attention; for all these things displease, and they do not show your skill in playing, but your craftiness or your rudeness.

5. You ought not to endeavour to amuse and deceive your adversary, by pretending to have made bad moves, and saying that you have now lost the game, in order to make him secure and careless, and inattentive to your schemes; for this is fraud and deceit, not skill in the game.

6. You must not, when you have gained a victory, use any triumphing or insulting expression, nor show too much of the pleasure you feel; but endeavour to console your adversary, and make him less dissatisfied with himself, by every kind and civil expression that may be used with truth, such as, "You understand the game better than I, but you were a little inattentive" or, "You had the best of the game, but something happened to divert your thoughts, and that turned it in my favour."

7. If you are a spectator while others play, observe the most perfect silence; for if you give advice you offend both parties-him against whom you give it, because it may cause the loss of his game; him in whose favour you give it, because, though it be good, and he follows it, he loses the pleasure he might have had if you had permitted him to think until that had occurred to himself. Even after a move or moves, you must not, by replacing the pieces, show how they might have been placed better; for that displeases, and may occasion disputes or doubts about their true situation. All talking to the players lessens or diverts their attention, and is therefore unpleasing. Nor should you give the least hint to either party by any kind of noise or motion; if you do, you are unworthy to be a spectator. Should you have a mind to exercise or show your judginent, do it in playing your own game, when you have an opportunity, not in criticising, or meddling with, or counselling the play of others.

Lastly, if the game is not to be played rigorously according to the rules as afore-mentioned, then moderate your desire of victory over your adversary, and be pleased with one over yourself. Snatch not eagerly at every advantage offered by his unskilfulness or inattention; but point out to him kindly, that by such a move he places or leaves a piece exposed and un

supported; that by another he will put his king in a dangerous situation, &c. By this generous civility (so opposite to the unfairness before forbidden) you may, indeed, happen to lose the game to your opponent, but you will win what is better, his esteem, his respect, and his affection, together with the silent approbation and good-will of impartial spectators.

When a vanquished player is guilty of an untruth to cover his disgrace, as, I have not played so longhis method of opening the game confused me-the men were of an unusual size,' &c., all such apologies (to call them no worse) must lower him in a wise person's eyes, both as a man and as a chess-player; and who will not suspect that he who endeavours to shelter himself under such untruths in trifling matters, is no very sturdy moralist in affairs of greater consequence, where his fame and honour are at stake? A man of proper pride would scorn to account for being beaten by one of these excuses, even were it true; because they all at the moment have the appearance of being

untrue.

DRAUGHTS.

Draughts is a game with a chequered board and men, of much less antiquity than chess, and is perhaps to be considered a degenerate descendant of that noble sport. In France it is called les dames, from having been a favourite game with ladies; and in Scotland, this signification is preserved in the term dam-brod, the name universally applied by the common people to the draught board.

Draughts is played on a chess-board, or a board chequered precisely in the same manner, with thirtytwo white, and thirty-two black squares. The board, however, is placed before the players differently; in chess there must be a white square in the right-hand corner, but in draughts the right hand corner must be black (that is, supposing you to play on the white squares). The following is a representation of a draught board, numbered for the sake of illustration, and placed as it should be in playing.

The game is played by two persons, who sit opposite to each other. Each party has a set of twelve men, the colour of the two being different for the sake of distinction. The men are generally round and flat pieces of wood; one set white, and another black; those of the neatest kind are turned out of boxwood and ebony.

The men may be placed either on the white or black squares, but the whole must be put on one colour only. It is customary in England to place all upon the white, and to have, as above, a black square on the right. In Scotland the black are played upon, when there is consequently a white square to the right. We go upon the supposition that the play is on the white squares, and have numbered them in the above figure accordingly.

The movements in draughts are very simple: a man can move only one square at a time, and diagonally,

In throwing, the number upon each die turned up may be reckoned by itself, or collectively, with the number on the other die. Thus, if quatre be thrown by one die and size by the other, a man can be advanced four points and another six points, or one man can be advanced ten points, always providing that a point is open to suit this movement to it. No point can be moved to, if covered by two men belonging to the adversary. If covered by only one man, which is called blot, then that man can be hit, and be removed from the point, and placed on the bar between the tables, his place being taken by the man who has won it.

The removal of a man to the bars throws a player considerably behind in the game, because the man must remain out of the play till the dice turn up a number corresponding to one open point on the adversary's table. Being fortunate to get an open point by this means, the man must be entered and wrought round from thence, as in the case of others in the set to which he belongs. The frequent occurrence of this hitting of a blot gives an adversary a great advantage, and allows him to win the gammon.

There are two kinds of victory-winning the hit and winning the gammon. The party who has played all his men round into his own table, and by fortunate throws of the dice has borne or played the men off the points first, wins the hit.

The gammon may be explained as follows:-When you have got all your men round to your own table, covering every point, and your adversary has a man out, then you are enabled to bear or lift your men away. If you can bear all away, so as to clear your table before the adversary gets his man placed by a throw on your table, you win the gammon. If the adversary has been able to bear one before you have borne all your men, it reduces the victory to a hit.

Two hits are reckoned equal to one gammon in playing matches. To win two games out of three is called winning the rub, as at whist.

Hoyle's Directions for Bearing Men.

If a player has taken up two of the adversary's men, and happens to have two, three, or more points made in his own tables, he should spread his men, that he either may take a new point in his tables, or be ready to hit the man which the adversary may happen to enter. If he finds, upon the adversary's entering, that the game is upon a par, or that the advantage is on his own side, he should take the adversary's man up whenever be can, it being 25 to 11 that he is not hit: except when he is playing for a single hit only; then,

if playing the throw otherwise gives him a better chance for it, he ought to do it.

It being 5 to 1 against his being hit with double dice, he should never be deterred from taking up any one man of the adversary's.

If he has taken up one of the adversary's men, and should happen to have five points in his own tables, and forced to leave a blot out of his tables, he should endeavour to leave it upon doublets preferable to any other chance, because in that case the odds are 35 to 1 that he is not hit; whereas it is only 17 to 1 but he is hit upon any other chance.

When the adversary is very forward, a player should never move a man from his own quatre, trois, or deuce points, thinking to bear that man from the point where he put it, as nothing but high doublets can give him any chance for the hit. Instead of playing an ace or a deuce from any of those points, he should play them from his own size or highest points; so that throwing two fives or two fours, his size and cinque points being eased, would be a considerable advantage to him; whereas, had they been loaded, he must have been obliged to play otherwise.

It is the interest of the adversary to take up the player as soon as he enters. The blot should be left upon the adversary's lowest point; that is to say, upon his deuce point rather than upon his trois point; or upon his trois point rather than upon his quatre point; or upon his quatre point preferable to his cinque point, for a reason before mentioned; all the men the adversary plays upon his trois or his deuce points are deemed lost, being greatly out of play; so that those men not having it in their power to make his cinque point, and his game being crowded in one place and open in another, the adversary must be greatly annoyed by the player.

If the player has two of the adversary's men in his tables, he has a better chance for a hit than if he had more, provided his game is forwarder than that of his antagonist; for if he had three or more of the adversary's men in his tables, he would stand a worse chance to be hit.

When a player is running to save the gammon, if he should have two men upon his ace point, and several men abroad, although he should lose one point or two in putting his men into his tables, it is his interest to leave a man upon the adversary's ace point, because it will prevent his adversary from bearing his men to the greatest advantage, and at the same time the player will have a chance of the adversary's making, a blot, which he may chance to hit. However, if a player finds, upon a throw, that he has a probability of saving his gammon, he should never wait for a blot, as the odds are greatly against his hitting it, but should embrace that opportunity.

BILLIARDS.

This sport may be said to combine the principles of bowls, golf, and some other games in which objects are impelled from the hand. Whether the game was invented in France or England is not clearly ascertained; but as it is mentioned by Shakspeare, it is at least as old in this country as the sixteenth century. In the present day, it is pursued in every civilised country, but principally by the higher or leisurely classes of society. In France, it is much more common than in England, where its character has suffered materially by the game having been made the subject of large gambling speculations. It is unfortunate that such should be the case, for no game is to be considered so purely scientific: it is dynamics, or certain laws of motion, put into practical operation; the hits or concussions of the balls exhibiting some of the finest examples of divergent forces.

Billiards is played with a table, certain kinds of rods, and balls. The table varies in size, that in most common use being from eight to twelve feet long, and from four and a half to six feet in width. Whatever be its dimensions, it requires to be perfectly level and smooth.

It is ordinarily made of small pieces of wood joined together, so as to avoid warping, and these being brought to a dead level by planing, the surface is covered with fine green cloth. All round is a ledge two to three inches high, and stuffed as a cushion. The table is furnished with six pockets, one at each of the four corners, and one on each side at the middle. The mouths of these pockets or purses are level with the surface, so as to allow the balls to glide easily into them.

The balls are of ivory, about an inch and a half in diameter. Two are white, and one is red. One of the white is distinguished by a spot. There are usually two players; he who owns the plain ball is called Plain, and he who owns the spotted ball is termed Spot. The red ball belongs to neither, but is aimed at by both.

The rods or bills used by the players are of two kinds, and different lengths, to suit different players. The ordinary kind of rod is called a cue. It is long and smooth, with one end thick and heavy, and the other more slender. The other kind of rod is termed a mace; it has a club-like extremity, and is much less frequently used. Almost all players employ cues of the length which suits them.

In playing, the left hand is rested with the palm undermost on the table. The palm is hollowed, and the thumb close to the forefinger is raised up to form a bridge or rest for the cue. The hand is to be at the distance of about six inches from the ball. The cue is lightly held in the right hand, the thick end uppermost, the blow being struck with the small extremity. Thus held, in a free but firm manner, and resting on the channel between the forefinger and thumb, the cue is given a sharp run forward so as to hit the ball in the required direction, and with that exact degree of force which will make it perform the desired feat. To prevent slipping, the point of the cue is generally chalked. The table is laid out as follows for play :-At the distance of about a foot from one end, in the centre of the table, is a small dot or mark in the cloth, on which the red ball is placed. At a similar distance from the other, which we shall call the upper end of the table, a line is made across by a chalked string; and in the middle of this line there is a mark on which the white ball of a player is to be struck from.

The leading principle in the sport is for a player to impel his white ball against the red ball, and drive them into a pocket or pockets; or to perform a still greater feat of striking the red ball, the adversary's ball, and his own ball, into pockets. It must be understood that nothing is gained by a player striking his own ball direct into a pocket; any body could do that, and there would be no science in it. The merit consists in impelling balls against each other, at such an exact angle that one or both may be pocketed; and the skill displayed in this is often very surprising.

In setting out in a game, the first stroke or lead is determined by lot. This is called stringing for the lead. Each player hits his ball from the string or line, and he who causes it to rebound from the bottom cushion and come back nearest to the upper cushion, has the lead and the choice of the balls.

The first player begins by striking his ball from the string against the red ball, as already mentioned; and if he pockets the balls, he scores a certain number and begins again. So long as he pockets, the adversary does not get a stroke. If the player miss, the adversary takes his turn. Both now play alternately, hitting the balls where they chance to lie; but when one pockets, he starts afresh by striking from the string.

A person in attendance scores or keeps reckoning of the play. He does this by means of two indices moving round a figured circle, and when one is gained, he turns the index accordingly. Technically, he is told to score one for Plain or one for Spot.

Hitherto we have spoken of billiards as one game, necessary to explain that at least twelve difes may be played. We shall notice the two as those in common use.

Winning and Losing Game.

This is played by two persons, and twenty-one points are the game. The following are Hoyle's regulations for playing it :

1. The game commences, as usual, with stringing for the as well as the choice of balls. The ball in stringing to be pres within the circle, and the striker must stand within the eur of the table. The ball which rebounds from the bottom cas

and comes nearest to the cushion within the baulk, takes a

lead, and has the choice of balls.

2. If the adversary to the first person who has strung for 1 lead should cause his ball to touch the other, he loses Lhe isa. thereby.

3. When a player holds the ball in stringing or leading, his a is forfeited.

4. If a ball is followed by either mace or cue beyond the ma hole, it is no lead; the adversary, of course, may force him tar new his lead.

5. After every losing hazard, the ball is to be replaced witam the nails or spots, and within the ring.

6. The place for the red ball is on the lowest of the two spots of the bottom of the table.

7. The red ball being holed or forced over the table, is pla immediately on the lowest of the two spots; the present player a besides, compelled to see it thus replaced, else he cannot w any points while it is off the spot; the stroke, of course, is f 8. When the player misses his adversary's ball, he loses cre

but should he at the same time pocket his own ball, he then three besides the lead.

9. The adversary's ball, and the red ball also, being struck a player. cidently forces his own or either of the other balls over the l 10. When the striker, after making a hazard or carambak, a he loses all the advantages he has gained besides the lead 11. When a ball is accidentally forced over the table, the stri loses the lead.

12. To strike your adversary's ball and the red one too, you.” two; this is called a carom or carambole.

13. To hole the adversary's or the white ball, you some de To hole the red ball you score three.

14. When the striker holes his own ball off his adversary a fu scores two points; but if he holes his ball off the red, be three. But if he holes both the red and his adversary's he scores five. If the player holes the red and his own had – scores six.

15. If the striker holes his own and his antagonist's b scores four.

16. When the striker plays at the white ball, and should the red after that, and his own ball besides, he scores five-tvholing the white and three for the red.

17. When the striker playing on the red ball first, should pr his own as well as his adversary's ball, he scores five points, for holing off the red, and two for holing his own.

18. If the player holes his adversary's ball, his own, and

red, he scores seven points; namely, two for holing off the w two for the adversary's holing, and three for holing the ball.

19. Should the striker hole his own ball off the red, and 15 the red and his adversary's too at the same stroke, he scores

points thus: three for holing himself off the red, three fr red itself, and two for holing his adversary.

*** All the above games, commencing with the thirteenth scored without the caramboles; the following are those in Wo

the caramboles occur:

20. When a carambole is made, and the adversary's had a pocketed, four are scored; namely, two for the carambur, two for the white.

21. If the striker pockets the red ball after making a caramel. he scores five; two for the carambole, and three for the rest. ball, after having caramboled, he scores seven; two for 22. If the striker should hole both his adversary's and the * carambole, two for the white, and three for the red ball

23. When a carambole is made by striking the white ball and the striker's ball should be holed by the same stroke, 77 points are gained.

24. When the striker makes a carambole by striking the ball first, and should hole his own ball at the same time, be five points; three for the red losing hazard, and two for the rambole.

carambole, and hole your own and adversary's ball at the s 25. If in playing at the white ball first you should mak

time, you score six points; namely, two for each white maar"and two for the carambole.

26. The striker wins seven points when he caramboles the red ball, and holes his own and his adversary's ball; namely, for the carom, two for the white, and three for the red bur

27. When the player caramboles by playing first at the whim. and should also hole his own and the red, he scores seven pritis namely, two for the carom, two for the white losing hard, and three for the red winning hazard.

28. When the player caramboles by hitting the red ball ft. and also holes his own and the red, he scores eight, amely ** for the carom, three for the red winning hazard, and thước ho the red losing hazard.