To those who have worked hard to place simply and clearly before the reader that which he will find within, the best thanks of the Editor are due. That it has been no slight labour to supervise all that has been written, he must acknowledge; but it has been a labour of love, and very much lightened by the courtesy of the Publisher, by the unflinching, indefatigable assistance of the Sub-Editor, and by the intelligent and able arrangement of each subject by the various writers, who are so thoroughly masters of the subjects of which they treat. The reward we all hope to reap is that our work may prove useful to this and future generations.

THE EDITOR.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
Introduction[1]
I.History of Billiards[6]
By Sydenham Dixon.
II.Implements[55]
By Archibald Boyd.
III.Elementary: One-ball Practice[104]
With Memorandum by Dudley D. Pontifex.
IV.Motion, Impact, and Division of Balls: Two-ball Practice[130]
V.Plain Strokes, Winning and Losing Hazards, Cannons: Three-ball Practice[142]
VI.On the Rotation of Balls[189]
VII.Miscellaneous Strokes[215]
VIII.The Spot Stroke[264]
IX.Safety and Baulk Play[283]
X.Breaks[300]
With Memoranda by Archibald Boyd and R. H. R. Rimington-Wilson.
XI.The Championship and the Three-inch Pocket Table[362]
With Memorandum by Russell D. Walker
XII.The Rules of the Game of Billiards[374]
XIII.Pyramids, Pool, and Country-House Games[387]
By W.J. Ford
XIV.Miscellaneous Notes[436]
Index [447]

ILLUSTRATIONS

(Reproduced by the Swan Electric Engraving Co.; Walker & Boutall; P. Naumann, and G. H. Ford)

PLATES
ARTIST
A Screw LoserLucien Davis.[Frontispiece]
Choosing a Cue„       „To face p. [48]
Preliminaries„       „    „     [108]
Opening The Game„       „    „     [133]
A Disputed Score„       „    „     [148]
In or out of Baulk„       „    „     [190]
The Long Rest„       „    „     [264]
A Serious Game: Nursing the Balls„       „    „     [300]
A Difficult Stroke„       „    „     [362]
Are They Touching„       „    „     [386]
A Ladies’ Battle„       „    „     [440]
ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT
PAGE
Mr. Samson’s Sections of a Billiard-room[64], [65]
An Outside Billiard-Room[103]
Stringing.[106]
An Easy Attitude[107]
The Bridge[109]
Using the Rest[113]
The Bridge (bouclée)[129]
Instead of Long Rest[148]
High Bridge for a Cramped Stroke[188]
A Push Stroke[225]
A Push (bouclée)[232]
The Leap or Jump Stroke[252]
When Player’s Ball is near a Cushion[263]
Preparing to play behind the Back: the right way[314]
Preparing to play behind the Back: the wrong way[324]
A Nursery[349]
Playing behind the Back[360]
A Winning Game[437]

BILLIARDS

INTRODUCTION

Justification for the appearance of a volume on the game of billiards as it is played early in 1896 is ample, for no treatise or manual exists in which modern developments are considered. Though this is so, it does not follow that the instruction in older works is unsound; much may be learnt from some of them, specially about plain practice strokes, but the science of playing breaks has been completely changed since they were published. If, however, further warrant were needed, it is supplied in the neglect of most players, whether professional or amateur, of elementary facts concerning the motion of balls on a table; and this, though ameliorated as regards professional players by constant practice and observation, obstructs both classes more than they think in the race for distinction. The best French players, from whom we have much to learn, recognise that the closer and more intelligent the study of the game, and the more nearly the implements reach perfection, the nearer do scientific theory and actual practice conform. Hence in this book considerable space is devoted to matters which may seem elementary and self-evident, but which are really the bases of sound knowledge, and of which amateurs (for whom the volume is primarily written) are for the most part completely ignorant. When the behaviour of a ball under various influences is described endeavour is made to use the simplest language; mathematical terms not generally understood are as far as possible avoided.