4 © B I L L I 
objeft at this game is, for the player to hit with his own 
ball the two other balls, which is called a carambolc. This 
game refembles the lofing, depending chiefly upon parti¬ 
cular ftrengths, and is generally played with the cue. The 
next object of this game, after making what we have dif- 
tinguifhed by the carambole, is the baulk ; that is, making 
the white ball, and bringing the player’s own ball and the 
red one below the bringing nail, from whence the adver- 
fary begins. By this means the opponent is obliged to 
play bricole from the oppofite cufhion ; and it often hap¬ 
pens that the game is determined by this fituation. 
The RuJJian carambolc, is played in the following man¬ 
ner : the red ball is placed as ufual on the fpot made tor 
that purpofe ; but the player when he begins, or after 
having been holed, never places his ball on any particular 
place or fpot; lie being at liberty to put it where he 
pleafes. When he begins to play, inltead of flriking at the 
red ball, he leads his own gently behind it, and his anta- 
goniit is to play at which he thinks proper : if he plays at 
the red ball and holes it, he fcores three as ufual towards 
the game, which is twenty-four inflead of fixteen points ; 
and the red ball is put upon tlie fpot again, at which he 
may flrike again or take his choice which of the two balls 
to pufli at, always following his Itroke till both balls are 
off the table. The bar-hole, is fo called from the hole b^ing 
barred which the ball fhould be played for, and the player 
flriking for another hole ; when this game is played againft 
the common game, the advantage for the latter, between 
equal players, is reckoned to be about fix. The player 
at the one-hole, though it feems to thofe who are not judges 
of the game to be a great difadvantage, has in faff the bed 
of it ; for, as all balls that go into the one hole reckon, 
the player endeavours to lay his ball conftantly before that 
hole, and his antagonifl frequently finds it very difficult to 
keep one or other ball out, particularly on the leads, when 
the one-hole player lays his ball (which he does as often 
as he can) on the brink of the hole; leading for that pur¬ 
pofe from the oppolite end, which in reality he has no right 
to do ; for the lead Ihould be given from the end of the 
table at which the hazard is made. The four-game, con- 
lifts of two partners on each fide, at the common winning 
game ; who play by fucceflion after each hazard, or two 
points loft. The game is fifteen up ; fo that the point or 
hazard is an odd number, which makes a mifs at this 
game of more confequence than it is at another; being as 
much at four, fix, or eight, as it is at five, feven, or nine, 
at the fingle game. Hazards, are fo called becaufe they 
depend entirely upon the making of hazards, there being 
no account kept of any game. Any number of perfons 
may play by having balls that are numbered; but the 
number feldom exceeds fix, to avoid confufion. The per¬ 
fon whofe ball is put in, pays fo much to the player, ac¬ 
cording to what is agreed to be played for each hazard ; 
and tlie perfon who milfes, pays half the price of a hazard 
to him whofe ball he played at. The only general rule is 
not to lay any ball a hazard for the next player, which 
may be in a great meafure avoided, by always playing 
upon the next player, and either bringing him clofe to the 
cufhion, or putting him at a diftance from the reft of the 
balls. Tiie game of billiards is not lefs in efteem for its 
variety and amufement, than for the fine exercife it af¬ 
fords; at the fame time, the powers neceflary for this a- 
mufement are fo gentle, that it is equally adapted to the 
entertainment of the ladies; many of whom now play this 
game to a very great degree of nicety and perfeftion. But 
in order to play well, attention muft be given to the me¬ 
thod of holding the mace, to the pofition in which the 
player ftiotild Hand, and the manner of delivering the ball 
from the mace; but thefe are much more eafily acquired 
by obfervation,oi' by the direction of a good player, than by 
any written rules. A perfon who plays with his right 
hand fhould ftand with his left foot foremoft ; and, on the 
contrary, he who is left handed, fhould place his right foot 
foremoft, by which he will ftand more fteady and firm. 
£urfts of paffion, and even fretting at trifling difappoint- 
ARDS. 
ments in the game, are ufually found very prejudicial to 
the player; his nerves being affeffed, it is impoffible for 
him to make the ftroke with that fteadinefs and nicety the 
game requires. We (ball briefly date the laws or rules of 
thofe games at billiards which are now chiefly in vogue. 
Rules to be cbferved at the while winning game. —This game 
is twelve in number, i. The parties on beginning muft 
firing for the lead, and for the choice of balls. 2. When 
a perfon firings for the lead, he muft ftand within the li¬ 
mits of the corner of the table, and muft not place ins ball 
beyond the ftringing nails or fpots; and he who brings his 
ball neareft the cufhion wins the lead. 3. If after the firft 
perfon has fining for the lead, and his adverfary who fol¬ 
lows him fhould make his ball touch the other, he jofes 
the lead. 4. If the player holes his own ball, either in 
ftringing or leading, he lofes the lead. 5. If the leader 
follows his ball wuth either mace or cue paft the middle 
hole, it is no lead ; and, if his adverfary chufes, he may 
make him lead again. 6. The ftriker, who plays at the 
lead, muft ftand with both his feet within the limits of the 
corner of the table, and muft not place his ball beyond 
the ftringing nails or fpots : and his adverfary only is 
bound to fee that he (lands and plays fair, otherwife the 
ftriker wins all the points he made by that ftroke. 7. 
When a hazard has been loft in either of the corner holes, 
the leader is obliged, if his adverfary requires it, to lead 
from the end of the table where the hazard was loft ; but 
if the hazard was loft in either of the middle holes, it is 
at the leader’s option to lead from which end of the table 
he pleafes. 8. If the ftriker does not hit his adverfary’s 
ball, he lofes one point; and if by the ftroke his ball 
fhould go into a hole, over the table, or on a cufhion, he 
lofes three points, viz. one for milling the ball, and two for 
holing it, &c. and he lofes the lead. 9. If the ftriker 
holes his adverfary’s ball, or forces it over the table, or on 
a culhion, he wins two points. 10. If the ftriker holes 
his own ball, or forces it over the table, or on a cufhion, 
he lofes two points. 11. If the ftriker holes both balls, 
or forces them over the table, or on a culhion, he lofes 
two points. 12. No perfon hath a right to take up his 
ball without permiffion front his adverfary. 13. If the 
ftriker, by accident, fhould touch or move his own ball, 
not intending to make a ftroke, it is deemed an accident ; 
and his adverfary, if he requires it, may put the hall back 
in the place where it flood. 14. If the ftriker forces his 
adverfary’s ball over the table, and his adverfary fhould 
chance to flop it, fo as to make it come on the table again, 
the ftriker neverthelefs wins two points. 15. If the ftriker 
forces his own ball oyer the table, and his adverfary 
fhould chance to flop it, fo as to make it come on the 
table again, the ftriker lofes nothing by the ftroke, and 
he hath the lead, becaufe his adverfary ought not to 
ftand in the way, or fo near the table. 16. If the ftriker 
ntiires the ball, and forces it over the table, and it fhould 
be flopped by his adverfary, as before mentioned, he lofes 
one point, and has the lead, if he chufes. 17. If the 
ftriker, in playing from a cufhion or otherwife, by touch¬ 
ing the ball, makes his mace or cue go over or paft it, he 
lofes one point ; and, if his adverfary requires it, he may 
put the ball back, and may make him pafs the ball. 18. 
If the ftriker, in attempting to make a ftroke, doth not 
touch his ball, it is no ftroke ; and he muft try again. 
19. If, when the balls are near each other, and the ftriker 
by accident fhould make his ball touch the other ball, it 
is neverthelefs a ftroke, though not intended as fuch. 
20. If the ftriker, who plays the ftroke, fhould make his 
adverfary’s ball go fo near the brink of a hole, as to be 
judged to (land dill, but afterwards fhould fall into it, the 
ftriker wins nothing; and the ball muft be put on the fame 
brink where it flood, for his adverfary to play from the 
next ftroke. There is no occafion for challenging the bail 
if it flops, as fome perfons imagine. 21. If the (Inker's 
ball fhould ftand on the brink or edge of a hole, and if in 
playing it off he fhould make the ball go in, he lofes three 
points. 22= If a ball fhould ftand on the brink or edge of 
his 
