‘O’er the green mead, the sporting virgins play,
Their shining veils unbound; along the skies,
Toss’d and re-toss’d, the ball incessant flies.’”[[30]]
Mr. Seymour said that, as the vicar had satisfied them of the high antiquity of the ball, he hoped he would now afford them some information respecting its use in England.
“The game of hand-ball,” said the vicar, “called by the French palm-play, because the exercise consisted originally in receiving the ball, and driving it back again with the palm of the hand, was formerly a favourite pastime among the youth of both sexes; and in many parts of the kingdom it was customary for them to play at this game during the Easter holidays for tansy cakes. In ancient times, the mayor and aldermen of Newcastle used to go in state at the feasts of Easter and Whitsuntide, to a little mall of the town, to witness this game. It was originally played with the naked hand; then with a glove, which in some instances was lined; afterwards, cords and catgut strings were bound upon the hand to make the ball rebound more forcibly.”
“That custom,” observed Mr. Seymour, “doubtless, gave origin to the racket.”
“It did,” replied the vicar; “and the places where this game was played were called tennis-courts, and the game itself obtained the name of tennis, from the French word tenez[[31]] (take it, hold it), frequently used during the exercise. The pastime, I believe, was introduced amongst our ancestors about the year 1222, the sixth year of Henry III, by persons of superior rank and family, who erected courts or oblong edifices for the performance of the exercise.”
“I long to hear something about foot-ball,” exclaimed Tom.
“That is a pastime,” said the vicar, “which was formerly in great vogue in England, but of late years it has fallen into disrepute. It derives its name, as you may suppose, from the circumstance of the ball being driven with the foot, in preference to the hand. When a match is made, two parties, equal in numbers, take the field, and stand between two goals, which are placed at the distance of eighty or a hundred yards from each other. The ball, which is commonly a blown bladder, cased with leather, is delivered in the midst of the ground, and the object of either party is to drive it through the goal of their opponents, by which the game is won. The abilities of the performers are best displayed in attacking and defending the goals, whence the pastime is more frequently called a goal, than a game at foot-ball. In this attack and defence, the exercise becomes exceedingly violent; the players kick each other’s shins without the least ceremony; and this occasioned James I. to speak of foot-ball as ‘meeter for laming than making able the users thereof.’”
“I believe,” said Mr. Seymour, “that the ancient game of goff is still much practised in Scotland.”