The Misses D’Hernilly received from their brother a delightful present, and one worthy of the affection which these amiable children bore to each other. Young D’Hernilly had learned by a letter from Ernestina, that the companions whom his sister met with at the castle, were younger than themselves, and that, in conformity to the taste of their little friends, the Misses D’Hernilly had resumed the trifling and puerile amusements of their childish days. Upon receiving this intelligence, Victor D’Hernilly went immediately to one of the most elegant toy-shops, and purchased a complete collection of all sorts of games, which he sent to his sisters by the first opportunity.
My little readers will easily conceive, that the arrival of this present occasioned a grand rejoicing among the young inmates of the castle. Each vied with the other who should first try the “cup-and-ball,” the “solitaire,” and the other play-things, some of which were unfortunately gone a little out of fashion, such as the “Devil,” and above all, the “Emigrant,” the name of which alone is sufficient to indicate its origin.
Madame D’Hernilly who still continued to share in the amusements of the children, was particularly attentive to them while they were engaged in these new games; she made them keep at certain distances from each other, lest they should be hurt by the ball of the cup-and-ball, or by the fall of the devil.
The cup-and-ball, in the management of which the celebrated Marquis of Bièvre is said to have excelled, is of ancient origin, since mention is made of it in Rabelais. It is composed of two parts, which are united by a small cord, the strongest, and at the same time, the most flexible of its kind that can be procured. One of the parts is a wooden or ivory stick, pointed at one extremity and rounded at the other; the cord fixed in the centre of the stick, supports a large ball, pierced through the middle by a hole, the cord which is passed through the smallest opening, comes out at the large one; then a knot is tied at the end, which secures the ball from falling down.
The player begins by twirling the ball so as to give it a very quick motion in a perpendicular direction; you must wait a few seconds till you feel that the ball begins to move less quickly; this is the moment to throw it up, and if the aim is good, the ball will be caught in the cup, or with a more skilful player upon the point, which is called the spindle. There are some players so clever, that they will catch the ball every time; two people may play at this game by trying in a given number of throws, which will first be able to catch the ball.
An ancient historian, named Estoile, tells us that King Henry the Third of France amused himself very frequently at cup-and-ball. This game came suddenly into very great favour in the middle of Louis the Fifteenth’s reign; it was in fact so much the fashion, that the actresses had the cup-and-ball in their hand even upon the stage.
The Emigrant was at one time quite as much in vogue, and it deserved it, on account of its singular mechanism, which though very simple causes it to remount of itself the whole length of the cord from which it descends. The Emigrant is a double disk, made of ebony or ivory; the two parts of this disk are united in the centre by a ball, which is of the same shape, and which forms a single piece; the ball is pierced with a hole, through which a cord is passed, the cord is knotted at the extremity in the same manner as the string of a cup-and-ball. You wind this cord round the ball, and then raising it by one end, you let the toy drop, retaining only the end of the cord; the toy falls, but it has acquired a force of rotation, which obliges it to roll itself round the cord in an opposite direction, and it thus winds itself up almost to the very end of the cord. It would in fact return of itself into your hand, only that a part of its impulse is destroyed by the friction and the resistance of the air; you are therefore obliged to second its motion by the alternate play of the hand. The Emigrant descends and ascends without ceasing, unless it gets deranged by the string getting out of the rut, which is formed by the middle of the ball.
You may play with the Emigrant not only by giving it a vertical motion, but also a horizontal one; and you may make it go, if you choose, like a censer, but this last method is not free from inconvenience, for if the string should chance to break, the disk may hurt the people who are near the player, or it may smash the looking-glasses or china.
The Devil is a toy still more dangerous to furniture; it is indeed so much so, that one cannot without imprudence play with it in a room. Most people remember this noisy plaything, for it was much in vogue a few years ago. It is in some respects, the reverse of the Emigrant; but it is moved by the same principle. It consists of two hollow balls, which are cut out of the same piece of wood, and united by a common stalk. Sometimes instead of wood, the toy is composed of tin, pewter, or even crystal; it is hardly necessary to observe that the Devils of this last substance are the most expensive and the most fragile. Each ball is pierced with a hole into which the air enters, and from which it escapes with impetuosity as the instrument turns round; a continual noise results from this, similar to that made by a German top. The rotation of the Devil is kept up by the alternate play of a small cord, suspended between two sticks placed in each hand of the player. You may throw this plaything very high, even to the distance of fifteen or twenty feet, and yet retain it upon the string; but this cannot be done without exposing the poor Devil to the chance of falling every instant; and it does not long survive repeated falls.
It seems likely that this game has been brought from India by the English, for it has been long known in China, and it is represented in some engravings sent from China, by the missionaries thirty years ago.
Adriana, although the youngest of the girls, had seized upon a toy, the use of which requires both stillness and reflection; consequently, she did not expect much amusement from it. It is called the Solitaire, because it can be played by a single person.
The Solitaire is a sort of octagon table, in which thirty-seven holes are made in the following order; three upon the first row, five upon the second, seven upon the third, fourth, and fifth, five upon the seventh, and three upon the eighth and last row.
The thirty-seven holes receive little pegs of bone or ivory which are taken out at pleasure; but you must leave one of the holes towards the middle empty. You take the pegs at this game in the same manner as at draughts, jumping in a straight line over those who leave behind them an empty space. You may take away the pegs in whatever way you think proper, but at the end of the game there must remain only one peg; if two or three, or a greater number, should remain so separated, that they cannot be taken one after another, the game is lost.
The combinations of this game are very varied, and after you have won one game, you find it very difficult to play another exactly in the same manner. This difficulty is a good deal increased by the manner in which players exercise themselves, in leaving at different times a hole empty in various parts of the board, first in one place, and then in another.
There was at this time a continued and heavy fall of rain, which obliged our young friends to remain for some days within doors. Fortunately, Victor’s liberality enabled them to amuse themselves as well in the house as in the open air. In the parcel he had sent to them, there were two sorts of shuttlecock; the one we have already described, and another in which the shuttlecock is received on each side in a sort of funnel attached to a long handle. This exercise is less active than battledore and shuttlecock, because it is necessary that both the players should stand in a straight line. The dining-room was sufficiently spacious to admit of their playing this game with perfect convenience[1].
Adela and Ernestina laughed very heartily at seeing Tee-totums among their brother’s presents; even Adriana herself thought that this play was somewhat too childish; nevertheless, after they had ridiculed Victor for sending them Tee-totums, they demonstrated at last by playing with them, that his foresight was not useless. When they had played at this game in their infancy, they had never troubled themselves to seek the signification of the letters marked on each side. All their pleasure consisted in trying who should make the totum spin the longest. Sometimes they themselves made a totum of a button-mould into which they drove a nail, a pin, or a little wooden peg. When Madame D’Hernilly explained to them what was meant by the letters engraved in black on the sides, they conjectured that the amusement had been invented by grave professors of science, or at least by some of their pupils, who had made a certain progress; for each of these letters P. A. D. T. is the initial of a Latin word expressing divers chances of the game. The letter P. is the beginning of the Latin word pone, which signifies put down; the person who throws it is obliged to put down a counter to the pool. The letter A. is the initial of accipe, that is to say, receive; the player who throws it gains a counter. D. the first letter of the Latin word da, in English give, obliges you if you turn it up, to pay a counter. If T, the first letter of totum, which signifies all, should turn up, you take all that is in the pool.
We need hardly tell our young readers, that it is from this word totum, that the game takes its name. There are some totums that have a greater number of sides than others; this causes an infinite variety in the game, and greatly increases the chances of gain or loss. The totums with twelve sides, do not differ much from a ball in form; but they are not turned upon a pivot, they are only rolled by the hand. The sides are numbered up to twelve, he who gains the highest point wins the game, and as this play does not require any profound combinations, they have given it the familiar name of Jack.
“It is a pity,” said Adriana, “that Victor did not send us a Jack.” “Oh,” cried Adela, “we may manage to have one with two dice, which will produce the same numbers from two to twelve.” Madame D’Hernilly surprised her daughters very much by proving to them, that at the game of dice, the chances were not equal, and that they would find by calculation, it was probable they might throw one number more frequently than another.
In the first place, you can never throw the simple number 1, because you are obliged to make use of two dice; the lowest number you can produce, must therefore be 2, which is formed by the two aces; there is consequently only one means of producing this number: 3 may be formed in two ways, that is to say, with the ace of one die, and the 2 of another; and then with the 2 of the first, and the ace of the second.
Number 4 may be formed in three ways, by the double 2, by 1 and 3, and by 3 and 1. Number 5 has four chances, namely, 2 and 3, 3 and 2, 4 and 1, 1 and 4.
6 may be thrown in five different ways; first, the double 3; second, 2 and 4; third, 4 and 2; fourth, 5 and ace; fifth, ace and 5.
The chances are most in favour of the number 7; it may be formed first by 6 and ace; second, by ace and 6; third by 5 and 2; fourth, by 2 and 5; fifth, by 4 and 3; sixth, by 3 and 4.
The numbers which follow these, decrease in the same proportion as the preceding ones have augmented; therefore there are five chances for number 8, as there are for number 5; the 9 like the 4 has four chances; the 10 is gained in three ways like the 3; and the 11 is made by two different combinations like the 2; lastly, the number 12 can be produced only by the double 6.
It is very necessary to understand these combinations at the games of tric-trac, or backgammon; the knowledge of them, in fact, constitutes the whole art of placing the men skilfully.
Players at different games, down even to the very game of goose, have made use of these combinations in order to calculate the probable chances of the different numbers. There is an infinite variety of drawings upon pasteboard designed for these games. The game of the goose, and similar ones, are disposed from 9 to 9; but you cannot stop there, and it is not possible to arrive at the last number 63, till you have surmounted a great number of obstacles. As a proof of this, we need only observe how often it happens, that when a person is nearly at the end of the game, and upon the point of winning it, he throws 6, which is one of the most common throws, and thus going beyond the required number is obliged to begin the game again. The bridge, the well, the prison, and death, that is to say, the figures which represent these quicksands, are arranged in such a manner, that one falls into them by the numbers 6, 7, and 8, which come every instant. In speaking upon this subject, Ernestina said facetiously, that a comic poet was not in the wrong in making one of his personages say:—
Adela, who had seen her parents play at tric-trac, asked the meaning of the words carmes, sonnes, &c., which she had heard pronounced at this game. Madame D’Hernilly informed her, that they call the two aces leset; the two trays ternes; the two fours carmes; the two fives, quines; the two sixes sonnez. There is no particular denomination for the double deuce.
With three dice, the chances are still more multiplied, and it would be very easy to calculate them; three points alike are called raffle, that is to say, a raffle of aces, a raffle of trays, a raffle of sixes, &c. &c.
From explaining the chances of the dice, Madame D’Hernilly turned to that of the osselets, or knuckle bones, which the ancients used nearly in the same manner as we do dice. They placed two or three in the dice box, and they reckoned a certain number of points according to what was turned up. The game was, however, looked upon only as a childish amusement. Phrates, king of the Parthians, wishing to reproach Demetrius, king of Syria, for his habitual levity, sent him some golden osselets.
Our children employed the little bone which is found in the leg of mutton, and which we call cramp-bone, or else small pieces of ivory cut to resemble it. The convex side is called the back, the opposite side which is concave, is called the hollow, and the two other sides are called the flat sides. The osselet is thrown up into the air, and before it falls, the player is obliged to place those which remain upon the tube one after another upon the back, upon the hollow, and upon the concave side; another osselet is then thrown up, and before it returns into his hand, he must successively snatch up all those which are on the table, or else he must make them pass under the thumb and forefinger of his left hand, which is extended; these different combinations are called making the back, the hollow, the wells, the fricassee, the raffle, &c.
The Misses D’Hernilly, and their young friends amused themselves very little with the osselets which Victor had sent them; they declared that such a fatiguing game was fitter for boys than girls. But though they thought little of the osselets, they prized very highly a superb set of dominos, which were made of mother-of-pearl, and had the spots marked with golden nails. Madame D’Hernilly thought that this elegant token of Victor’s affection for his sisters, would not be very long safe in the hands of those little rattle-pates and their giddy associates; she therefore took charge of them herself, and presented the children with a common set in their stead.
Each Domino is divided into two parts, and each part presents seven combinations; namely, the six points of the dice, and the white space: it is for this reason, that the dominos are 28 in number. Each player takes at random a certain number of dominos, which he places before him in such a manner, that his adversary cannot distinguish how many there are. The person who has a double six, or for want of that, a double five, or any other number doubled, begins the game: the others, for three or four may play at it, place by turns, a corresponding domino to one of the extremities of the domino which is put upon the table. If any one has not a domino to correspond with the others, he is passed by, and loses his turn; this is called sulking. When there are only two, it is called fishing. You take at first very few dominos, for example, three, or at most five. When you sulk, instead of letting your adversary play, you draw from the dominos which remain, until you have drawn the required number; in consequence of this, it sometimes happens, that the player draws more than half the set. The game is won by the player who has first used all his dominos. If the game is closed, and that no one can place their remaining numbers either to the right or the left, he who has the smallest number of points, or if the points are equal, who retains the least number of dominos, wins the game. The winner reckons in his favour the number of points which his adversary has not been able to place, and they begin again until one of the players has gained the number 100 as at picquet.
The young neighbours were obliged to absent themselves for a few days from the castle, they soon however returned; and they passed whole evenings in playing at dominos. Each of the players marked by means of a card the numbers they had gained. Madame D’Hernilly informed them, that their manner of reckoning up their numbers, by cutting a card in different places, had a great resemblance to the abacus, which the ancient Romans made use of in counting; and the souan-pan, which the Chinese employ for the same purpose.
On one side is a large hollow, with four slits to mark the units; on the other side is a mark reckoned equal to fifty, and four others, which are each equal to ten. You might by this means, count beyond ninety-nine, but in multiplying the slits, you might go to several millions, or even millions of millions.
This kind of arithmetic is much more expeditious than that of writing down and adding up columns of figures, but it is attended with one very great inconvenience, that of leaving no trace of detached calculations; so that you cannot ascertain afterwards whether you have not committed some error.
The children’s fondness for dominos, subsided at last like their other whims, and they condescended to play with the onchets. Adriana deceived by the similarity of sound between this word and échecs, the French name for chess, supposed they were the same game; Madame D’Hernilly explained the difference, which was very considerable; but although she was tolerably skilful at chess and draughts, she thought that their combinations were too complicated for young people. “When you are older,” said she, “I will make you acquainted with a charming poem, written by Cérutti on the game of chess; but in order to comprehend the poem, you must be acquainted with the rules of the game. I shall content myself to-day with reading you some verses descriptive of the subject.”
[1] This game and those that follow are represented in the border of the print.
When Madame D’Hernilly had read the verses, they renewed their conversation about the game of onchets. “The grand question,” cried Madame D’Hernilly, “is whether these little ivory fish, or these figures of kings, queens, knaves, and horses, should be called onchets, honchets, or jonchets; those who make very laborious researches after the most trifling things, assure us, that we should say honchets, because the word may be used to signify little men. I am of the opinion of those who call them jonchets, which is derived from the game being originally played with straws, instead of these little sticks of ivory and gold. After all, my children, there is no need to trouble ourselves respecting the name of the game, the only essential thing about the amusement is that it should divert you.”
This game is most amusing when played by two persons only, although it is possible for three or four to join in it. They draw lots to decide who shall begin; the player who gains the chance, holds in his fingers one of these little hooks, the other takes the bundle of fish and figures which he strews over the table; the first then seizes with his hook upon as many of them as he can catch, but it requires a great deal of address to do this according to the rules of the game; for if the pieces in contact with the one which you covet happen to move in the slightest degree, you are obliged to resign your turn to your adversary, and this continues on both sides till all the pieces are taken.
The young people easily comprehended the instructions of Madame D’Hernilly, and soon became proficients in the game; they reckoned the king for fifty, the queen forty, the knave thirty, the horse twenty, and each plain fish for ten. The player who contrives to get together the greatest number of points, wins the game.
[2] This game was invented by a monk to amuse the monastic orders, who are forbidden to play at cards.