BIL 



BIL 



inches and a half in compass; the assize 

 of which is to be enqutredof by justices. 



SUBLETTING, in military affairs, is 

 the quartering of soldiers in the houses 

 of a town or village. 



BILLIARDS, an ingenious kind of 

 game, played on a rectangular table, with 

 little ivory balls, which are driven into 

 hazards or holes, according to certain 

 rules of the game. The table on which 

 the game is played is generally about 

 twelve feet long and six feet wide, or ra- 

 ther in the exact torm of an oblong ; it is 

 covered with tine green cloth, and sur- 

 rounued with cushions, to prevent the 

 balls rolling oft; and to make them re- 

 bound. There are six holes, nets, or 

 pockets : these are hxed at the four cor- 

 ners, and in the middle, opposite to each 

 other, to receive the balls, which, when 

 put into these holes or pockets, are call- 

 ed hazards. The making of a hazard, 

 that is, putting the adversary's ball in, ai 

 the usual game, reckons for two in favour 

 of the player. The game is played with 

 sticks called maces, or with cues ; the 

 first consists of a long straight stick, with 

 a head at the end, and are the most pow- 

 erful instruments of the two : the cue is 

 a thick stick, diminishing gradually to a 

 point of about half an inch diameter; this 

 instrument is played over the left hand, 

 and supported by the fore-linger and 

 thumb. It is the only instrument in vogue 

 abroad, and is played with amazing ad- 

 dress by the Italians and some of the 

 Dutch; but in England the mace is the 

 prevailing instrument, which the foreign- 

 ers hold in contempt, as it requires not 

 near so much address to play the game 

 with, as when the cue is made use of; 

 but the mace is preferred for its peculiar 

 advantage which some professed players 

 have artfully introduced, under the name 

 of trailing, that is, folio wing the ball with 

 the mace to such a convenient distance 

 from the other ball as to make it an easy 

 hazard. The degrees of trailing are va- 

 rious, and undergo different denomina- 

 tions amongst the connoisseurs at this 

 game; viz. the shove, the sweep, the 

 long stroke, the trail, and the dead trail, 

 or turn up, all which secure an advan- 

 tage to a good player, according to their 

 various gradations : even the butt end of 

 the cue becomes very powerful, when it 

 is made use of by a good trailer. 



Rules generally observed at the common or 

 usual game: 1. For the lead, the balls 

 must be put at one end, and the player 

 must strike them against the farthermost 

 ^ cushion, in order to see which will be 

 nearest the cushion that is next to them. 



2. The nearest to the cushion is to lead, 

 and choose the ball, if he pleases. 3. 

 The leader is to place his ball at the 

 nail, and not to pass the middle pocket : 

 and if he holes himself in leading, he 

 loses the lead. 4. He who follows the 

 leader must stand within the corner of the 

 table, and not place his ball beyond the 

 nail. 5. He who plays upon the running 

 ball loses one. 6. He who touches the 

 ball twice, and moves it, loses one. But 

 these two rules are seldom or never en- 

 forced, especially in England. 7. He 

 who does not hit his adversary's ball 

 loses one. 8 He who touches both balls 

 at the same time makes a foul stroke, in 

 which case, if he should hole his adversa- 

 ry, nothing is gained by the stroke ; but 

 if he should put himself in, he loses two. 

 9. He who holes both balls loses two. 

 10 He who strikes upon his adversary's 

 ball and holes himself loses two. 11. He 

 who plays at the ball without striking it 

 and holes himself loses three. 12. He 

 who strikes both balls over the table loses 

 two. 13. He who strikes his ball over the 

 table, and does not hit his adversary's ball, 

 loses three. 14. He who retains the end 

 of his adversary's stick when playing, or 

 endeavours to balk his stroke, loses one. 

 15. He who plays another's ball or stroke 

 without leave loses one. 16. He who takes 

 up his ball, or his adversary's, without 

 leave, loses one. 17. He who stops either 

 ball when running loses one ; and being 

 near the hole loses two. 18. He who 

 blows upon the ball when running loses 

 one; and if near the hole loses two. 19. 

 He who shakes the table when the ball is 

 running loses one. 20. He who strikes 

 the table with his stick, or plays before 

 his turn, loses one. 21. He who throws 

 the stick upon the table and hits the ball 

 loses one. 22. If the ball stand upon the 

 edge of the hole, and after being chal- 

 lenged it fall in, it is nothing, but must 

 be put up where it was before. 23. If 

 any person not being one of the players 

 stops a ball, the ball must stand in the 

 place where it was stopped. 24. He who 

 plays without a foot upon the floor, and 

 holes his adversary's ball, gets nothing 

 for it, but loses the lead. 25. He who 

 leaves the game before it is ended loses 

 it. 26. Any person may change his stick 

 in play. 2*7. If any difference arises be- 

 tween players, he who marks the game, 

 or the majority of the company, must de- 

 cide it. 28. Those who do not play must 

 stand from the table, and make room for 

 the players. 29. If any person lays any 

 wager, and does not play, he shall not 

 give advice to the players upon the game. 



