Section II.
Thus much for musicall Instruments, we proceed now to such things as are borne in Armes, used for the exercise of the Body, either in playing at tables, Bowles, Tennis, and such like the Instruments of which games are these as follow.
Pair of tables
26. He beareth a paire of playing
tables.
Tables are made with a ledge, or border about, to keepe both the dice, and table men from falling out, they close in the midle with hinges (like a booke, therefore of some termed the divells bookes) they haue in them 12 points on a side, six to six ouer against on the other, and of contrary colours as one point white, the other black, or of any other colours; and are named according to the blotts of the die, the Ace-point, the duce-point &c. euer beginning at the left hand so going to the right: one being the left hand table and the other the right hand table.
Table man
27. He beareth a Table man
and a Die charged with an Ace.
At all games within the tables, there is two Dies, and 30 table men: 15 of one colour, and 15 of an other, which your Aduersary and your selfe haue betweene you.
Dice
28. He beareth three dice, or
dies, the first charged with a
duce, the second with a trey, and the
third with a cater. A die is a foure
square cube that is directly four
cornered euery way which in the whole
containes six squares which hath on
them all the six blotts (commonly called
the blotts of a die) as Ace, one: duce,
two: tra, three: cater, foure: cinque,
five: sice, six: these are their termes.
Dice
29. He beareth two dice.
There is an art (and a cheating one too) to make false dice, such as will cast vp any blott, what soeuer the cheater pleaseth. Low chances, are dice that run vpon 3.2.1. High chances, are dice that run vpon 6.5.4. called also high runners. He that hath recourse to such dice, which runs perticular chances for his purpose, hath great advantage of a novice, or Innocent man; whom to win off is no miracle.
Related text(s) Table games Games rules Gamesters terms Games with dice
Chess board
30. He beareth a Chesse
Board.
But to terme it either a draught board, or a chest board, is sufficient for those kind of boards are euer chequered, for the game at chests, or draughts.
Chess rook
31. He beareth a chess-rooke
(or a Rock).
These were at first called Rooks or Rocks from their being the defence of all the rest, and therefore are set in the vtmost corners of the chesboard, as Frontier castles. The common chesse Rookes are generally drawne with bending tops: others there are which are distinguished by the terme of the formeing of the head, as you may se numb: 120 to 124.
Chess rooks
32. He beareth
three such Chesse Rookes.
33. 34. 35. These foure seuerall wayes the chesse Rooke hath bine aunciently drawne by our great grandfathers and grandfathers, and Heraulds about their tymes, which I haye caused to be engraven more for their rearity then any thing of reall age, and so shew the difference of tymes what then and what now. Note that these stands or chesse men all together are so generally called, but in their set places they haue other names, as you shall see in the game of chesse.
Chess rook
Chess rook
Chess rook
Chess rook
36. He beareth a chesse Rooke with a flower de lis head.
They are made and adorned with
seuerall fashioned heads, as you may
see numb: 120 to 124.
Chess rook
37. He beareth a chesse
Rooke, or chesse man, with an Invecked
head.
Related text(s) Chess terms Chess laws Draughts
Hole board
38. He beareth a 9 Hole
Board, edged and linned.
Some terme this a miracle board
and the game Miracles: the play is
with peggs or wooden pins set in the
holes of the midle square: each party
haueing three, which they stick in one
after an other, and so remoue them, till
one of the parties haue gotten his peggs
all in a streight line; which being done
the cast is finished. He that hath the
midle hole is sure of the game if he
obserue the rule, for there is a certaine
way in it that he shall neuer losse
though his adversary haue 20 of 21
casts giuen him towards the game.
Fox and geese
39. He beareth a Fox and
Geese board, holed and lined.
This is a game consisting of one long peg, which is called the fox: and of 15 smaller peggs, which are the geese: and are set on one side and the fox in the midle, now the play is to driue vp the fox and pin him in a corner, but if the geese be not well backed, that the fox breake through, then the game in won on that side.
The play is, by so many geese to pinne the fox, that he cannot stire one hole further: by securing the reare, and keeping him that in a streight line he cannot leape ouer a goose into the hole next behind; which if he can doe, that goose is lost, and taken vp. There is an other sort of board called the double fox and geese, it hath twice as many holes as this, in which is played two foxes and 30 geese.
Alsoe a Treble Fox and Goose Board in which there is 3 or 4 Foxes and 50 or 60 geese. Euery square in the double Board hath in this an other crosse line made in it from corner to corner of the square.
Snake board
40. He beareth a snake
board; there on a snake depicted,
with houses, birds, and the like fixed on
his back.
This is a bord whereon is playd the game of Snake. The description is thus, the snake being turned round as in the figure, it is diuided into 63 equall parts, in each is bored a hole with a figure set ouer it begining at the neck with 1.2.3.4.&c. till you come to the taile which ends with the 63 hole and number, and those win. The play is by the cast of 2 dice, and sticking of peggs in the said holes, according to the cast, or chance of the dice; still going forwards till you get to the last number of 63. But those throwing after you, if they chance to come into the same hole where you are, turnes you back againe to begin your game anew.
Related text(s) Game of goose Game of goose rules
Tennis ball
41. He beareth a Ball.
Some terme it a Tennice or Tennis
ball, because used in that recreation by
such as goe to the Tennis court.
Ball
Image from proof plate42. He beareth a Ball.
This is called a casting ball, a play ball, and a stoole ball, because Children and yong people generally play at such Games with Ball made of Leather or Wollen yarne.
Billiard tack
No image located
In the base of this quarter, is the figure of the Tack or a Stick used at the Billiard table for the strikeing of an Ivory ball. It is generally made of Brasile, or Lignum Vitae, because they must be weighty; and if they be of Ivory it is the best, else they must be tipt with Ivory.
Tennis racket
43. He beareth a Rakett.
This is that Instrument used in Tennis courts, for the strikeing of the Tennis ball from place to place. It is a frame of wood or strong whale bone bent and the ends fixed in an Handle to hold it by for to strike with, the hoope part being crosse after the maner of a thick nett with Bowell strings, or cats guts.
I suppose by the terme Balloone Mr Gwilliams meanes this Rackett, or else I know not what to make of it, for saith he fol. 322, Jacobus Medices, Generall to Charles the fist, had for his device, a Ball and two Balloones, with this Motto, Percussvs elevor, the harder I am stricken, the higher I mount.
A Balloon is a French terme for a great ball, which they use at a sport called Balloon in Italy. I suppose it is like our Tennis play.
Battledore
44. He beareth a Battle-dore.
This is a flatt peece of wood of
some made round, other ovall, but the
gentilest way is to make them top like,
the better sort of gentry haue them
couered with Leather and gilt on the
back side like to a childs horne booke.
With this Instrument the Shuttle cock
is tossed vp and downe.
Shuttlecock
45. He beareth a shuttle cock.
This is nothing else but a
corke, or peece of wood cut round and
flat in the ends, haueing in the top
three goose feathers stuck in cross to
one another, which make it slow in flying and in it flying to turne continually
round; as it is stricken with the Battledore from one person to an other.
Billiard ball
No image located
In the base betweene the two squares marked 44 and 45 is the Billiard Ball being a round Ivory Ball which are made exactly round, except they be so there can be no good proof of the play be expected.
Bowls
Image from proof plate46. He beareth a Bowle with the Bias side before, or to view.
These are of some termed running bowles, because in the running posture, haueing the biases set to the lift side.
Playing card
No image located
In the cheife of this quarter is placed a card, called also a game card, or playing card, charged with a fiue of the diamons and are made long, or square.
Related text(s) Bowling Bowls rules Bowls types Bowls terms
Bowls
47. He beareth a Bowll
with the Bias side vp, this
Bowl hath spent itselfe with runing and
so hath layd it selfe downe.
Playing cards
No image located
In the chiefe of this 47 quarter is set a deck or pack of cards, which consists of 52 cards, viz: foure Kings, foure Queenes, foure Knaves, ten cards of picks or diamonds, ten cards of hearts, ten cards of spades, and ten cards of clubs; which are thus numbered, Ace, duce, Trey, foure, fiue, six, seave, eight, nyne, and ten of the hearts, spads, or whatsoeuer they are.
Related text(s) Card games, principal Card games, minor Card games terms Card games laws False cards
Ninepin
48. He beareth a cale peg, or
a nyne pin.
Chess queen
No image located
On the dexter side of this square is engraven a Chesse Queen which some call a pillar with an Avellane capitall.
Chess king
Image from proof plateOn the sinister side of this square I haue caused a chesse King to be engraven; though some affirme it to be a pillar.
[the image appears to have been erased]
Related text(s) Nine pins game
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