Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/241

Rh Play at Billiards, Bowls, and Chess, together with all Manner of Gentile Games either in Cards or Dice." One chapter is devoted to "English Ruff and Honours and Whist," which apparently every child of eight years old was expected to play. That a good deal of cheating took place we may infer from the following significant passage: "He that can by craft overlook his adversary's game hath a great advantage, for by that means he may partly know what to play securely. There is a way to discover to their partners what honours they have; as the wink of one eye or putting one finger on the nose or table, it signifies one honour; shutting both the eyes, two; placing three fingers or four on the table, four honours." Billiards, one of the few games allowed through the gloomy Commonwealth, now grew in popularity, till in 1688 there were few towns in England without a public billiard table. The game at this time differed very considerably from our modern game. The balls were very small, the cues were tipped with ivory, the bed of the table was made of oak or marble, the pockets or hazards were merely wooden boxes.

Once more the bear-gardens and cock-pits, practically deserted during the Commonwealth,