SOS 
among the Greeks, were the Olympic, Py- 
thian, Isthmian, Nemaran, &c. games; and, 
among the Homans, the Apollinarian, Cir- 
censiau, Capitoline, See. games. 
It was also customary among the Greeks 
for persons of quality to institute games, with 
all soits of exercises, as running, wrestling, 
boxing, &c. at the funerals of their friends, 
to do them honour, and render their death 
more remarkable. This practice is frequent- 
ly mentioned by antient writers, as Millia- 
des’s funeral in Herodotus, Brasidas’s in 
Thucydides, Timoleon’s in Plutarch, with 
many more. Nor was this custom peculiar 
to later ages, since we find the description of 
Patroclus’s funeral games takes up the great- 
est part of one of Iiomer’s Iliads; and even 
prior to this, the funeral of (Edipus is said to 
have been solemnized with sports. 
Among the Romans, there were three sorts 
of games, viz. sacred, honorary, and ludi- 
crous. The first were instituted immediate- 
ly in honour of some deity or hero ; of which 
kind were those already mentioned, together 
with the augustales, Morales, palatini, &c. 
The second class were those exhibited by 
private persons at their own expence, in or- 
der to please the people, and ingratiate them- 
selves with them, to make way for their own 
preferment: such were the combats of gla- 
diators, the scenic games, and other anlphi- 
theatricul sports. The ludicrous games were 
much of the same nature with the games of 
exercise and hazard among us: such were the 
Indus trojanus, tessera, tali, trochus, &c. 
l By a decree of the Roman senate, it was 
enacted, that the public games should be 
consecrated and united with the worship of 
the gods ; whence it appears, that feasts, sa- 
crifices, and games, made up the greatest 
part, or rather the whole, of the external 
worship offered by the Romans to their dei- 
ties. Others distinguish the Roman games into 
1. The equestrian, or curuie games, which 
were the same with the circensian. 2. The 
gymnic games, wherein were exhibited gla- 
diatorial and other shews of the like nature.: 
these were sacred to Mars and Minerva. 3. 
The theatrical entertainments, consisting of 
tragedies, comedies, &c. : these were sacred 
to Apollo, Bacchus, Minerva, Venus, &c. 
Game. It is a maxim of the common law, 
that goods of which no person can claim any 
property belong to .the king by his preroga- 
tive. Hence those animals ferae naturae, 
which come under the denomination of game, 
are styled in our laws his majesty’s game ; 
and that which he has he may grant to ano- 
ther ; in consequence of which another may 
prescribe to have the same, within such a 
precinct or lordship. And hence originated 
the right of lords of manors or others to the 
game within their respective liberties. 
As the sole right of taking and destroying 
game belongs exclusively to the king, as 
such he may authorize the only persons who 
can acquire any property, however fugitive 
and transitory, in the animals coming under 
that denomination. 
For the preservation of these species of 
animals; for the recreation and amusement 
of persons of fortune, to whom the king, with 
the advice and assent of parliament, has 
.granted the same ; and to prevent persons 
of inferior rank from misemploying their 
time, the following acts of parliament have 
GAME. 
been made. The common people are not 
injured by these restrictions, no right being 
taken from them which they ever enjoyed ; 
but privileges are granted to those who have 
certain qualifications therein mentioned, 
which before rested solely in the king. 2 
Bac.'Abr. 612. 
For the sake of perspicuity, we have ar- 
ranged the different acts of parliament in al- 
phabetical order. 
Certificates to be dated the day of the 
month when issued, and shall be in force till 
the 1st of July following and no longer; and if 
any clerk of the peace, his deputy or steward, 
cieik, &c. issue certificates otherwise than 
directed, to forfeit 20/. 25 G. III. sess. 2. 
No person to destroy game until he has 
delivered an account of his name and place 
of abode to the clerk of the peace, or his de- 
puty, or to the, sheriff dr steward clerk of 
the county, riding, shire, stewartry, or place 
where such person shall reside, and annually 
take out a certificate thereof, which must 
have a stamp-duty of 31. 3s. 25 Geo. III. 
sess. 2. 
Any person counterfeiting or forging any 
seal or stamp directed to be used by this act, 
with intent to defraud the revenue, or shall 
utter and sell such counterfeit, on conviction 
thereof shall be adjudged a felon, and shall 
suffer death without benefit of clergy; and 
all provisions of former acts relative to stamp 
duties to be in force in executing this act. 
Id. 
Every qualified person shooting at, killing, 
taking, or shooting any pheasaiit, partridge, 
heath-fowl, or black-game, or any grouse or 
red game, or any other game, or killing, tak- 
ing or destroying any hare with any grey- 
hound, hound, pointer, spaniel, setting-dog, 
or other dog, without having obtained such 
certificate, shall forfeit the sum of 20/. Id. 
Clerks of the peace or their deputies, or 
the sheriff or steward clerks, in their respec- 
tive counties, ridings, shires, stewartries, or 
places, shall, bn or before November 1, 1785, 
or sooner if required by the commissioners 
of his majesty’s stamp duties, transmit to the 
head office of stamps in London, a correct 
list in alphabetical order of the certificates by 
them issued between the 25th day of March, 
in the year 1785, and the 1st of October in 
the same year ; and shall also in every sub- 
sequent year, on or before the 1st of August 
in each year, make out and transmit to the 
stamp-office in London, correct alphabetical 
lists of the certificates so granted by them, 
distinguishing the duties paid on each respec- 
tive certificate so issued ; and on delivery 
thereof, the receiver-general of the stamp du- 
ties shall pay to the clerk of the peace, &c. 
for the same one halfpenny a name ; and in 
case of neglect or refusal, or not inserting a 
full, true, and perfect account, he shall for- 
feit 20/. Id. 
Lists may be inspected at the stamp-office 
for Is. each search; id. which lists shall once 
or oftener in every year, be inserted in the 
newspapers in each respective county. 
If any qualified person, or one having a 
deputation, shall be found in pursuit of game, 
with gun, dog, or net, or other engine for 
the destruction of game, or taking or killing 
thereof, and shall be required to shew his cer- 
tificate by the lord or lady of the manor, or 
proprietor of the land whereon such person 
shall be using such gun, &c. or by any duly- 
appointed game-keeper, or by any qualified 
or certified person, or by any officer of the 
stamps, properly authorized .by the com- 
missioners, he shall produce his certificate; 
and if such person shall refuse, upon the pro- 
duction of the certificate of the person re- 
quiring the same, to shew the certificate 
granted to him for the like purpose ; or in 
ca- e of not having such certificate, to produce, 
shall refuse to tell his Christian and surname, 
and his place of residence, and the name of 
the county where his certificate was issued, 
or shall give in any false or fictitious name, 
he shall forfeit 50/. Id. 
Certificates do not authorize any person to 
shoot at, kill, take or destroy any game at 
any time that is prohibited by law, nor give 
any person a right to shoot at, &c. unless he 
is duly qualified by law. Id. 
No certificate obtained under any deputa- 
tion shall be pleaded or given in evidence, 
where any person shall shoot at, &c. any 
game out of the manors or lands for which it 
was given. The royal family are exempted 
from taking out certificates for themselves or 
their deputies. Id. 
Conics . — Destroying conics, transporta- 
tion. 5 G. III. c. IT 
Robbing warrens, felony without clergy. 
9 G. I. s. 22. 
Killing them in the night, or endeavouring 
to kill them, fine of 1 Os. or commitment. 22 
and 23 Car. II. c. 25. 
Unqualified person usinga gun to kill them, 
the same may be seized. 3 Jac. I. c. 13. 
Deer . — Stalking deer without leave, 10/. 
19 H. VII. c. 11. 
Hunting or killing them, 10/., costs, and 
sureties for good behaviour. 5 Eliz. c. 21. 
Buck stalls or engines kept by unqualified 
persons may be seized. 3 Jac. 1. c. 13.- 
Selling, or buying them to sell again, 40/. 
3 Jac. I. c. 27. 
Coursing or killing them without consent, 
20/. 13 Car. II. c. 10. 
Hunting, taking, killing, or wounding, 30/. 
or transportation. 3 W. 111. c. 10. ; 5 G. I. 
c. 15. ; 9 G. I. c. 22. ; 10 G. II. c. 32. 
Destroying pales or walls of inclosed 
grounds, without consent, 30/. 5 G. I. c. 
15. 
Keeper of parks privately killing or taking 
them, 50/. Id. 
Robbing places where kept, felony without 
clergy. 9 G. I. e. 22. 
Game-keepers . — All lords of manors, or 
other royalties, may appoint game-keepers, 
and empower them to kill game. 22 and 
23 Car. II. c. 25. 
But if game-keeper dispose of the game 
without the lord’s consent, he shall be com- 
mitted for three months, and kept to hard 
labour. 5 Anne, c. 14. 
But no lord shall make above one game- 
keeper within one manor, with power to kill 
game, and his name shall be entered with 
the clerk of the peace; certificate whereof 
shall be granted by the clerk of the peace on 
payment of 10,?. 6d. Unqualified game- 
keeper killing or selling hare, pheasant, par- 
tridge, moor, heath-game, or grouse, he shall 
forfeit 5 1. by distress, or commitment for 
three months for the first offence, and every 
other four. 9 Anne, c. 21. 
No lord shall appoint an unqualified game- 
keeper, or one who is not bona fide servant 
