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Francis Willughby’s Book of Games is an unfinished and unpublished manuscript written by the author in the years leading up to his death. It collects games played by both children and adults — some sections of the manuscript are written by an unidentified child, probably one of his children.
In the order given in the manuscript, the sections are:Not every page is titled in the original, but titles are inferred in Francis Willughby’s Book of Games: a seventeenth-century treatise on sports, games and pastimes.
- Stow Ball
- Billiards
- Tennis
- Tables
- Dublets
- Ticktack
- Irish
- Back Gammon: Backgammon
- Long Laurence
- Cards
- One and Thirtie
- One and Thirtie Bon Ace
- Hannikin Canst Abide It
- Laugh & Ly Downe: Laugh and Lie Down
- Nodde
- Cribbidge
- A New Cribbidge or Nodde
- Double Hand Cribbidge
- Ruffe & Trump
- Gleeke
- Beast, or Le Beste
- Loosing Lodum
- Winning Loadum
- Ging or Seven Cards
- Put
- Whehee
- Tricks at Cards
- Barly Breakes
- Running 3 Times through the Charter House
- Running
- Prison Barres
- Lilman
- Football
- Hurling
- Drawing, Lifting &c.
- Drawing Dun Out of the Mire
- England and Ireland
- Copshole, or Copsole
- Kibble Heft
- Pitching the Barre
- Leaping
- Vaulting
- Hop Frog
- Scotch Hopper
- Ball
- I Call and I Call
- Stoole Ball
- Bandie Ball
- Kit Cat
- Hornebillets
- Shittle Cock
- Shooting
- Father Fitchard
- Children’s Plays
- Put Pin
- Heads and Points
- Even & Odde
- Upper or Nether, Chuse you Whither
- Crosse & Pile
- Cob Castle
- Cobnut
- Cherrie Pit
- Hide & Seeke
- King Weywoods Park
- Hunting a Deere in My Lords Parke
- Blind Mans Buffe. Blind Buck a Davie
- Hummers
- Handie Back, or Hockcockles
- Tick
- Top
- Gigs
- Whirlie Gigs
- Tricks to Abuse & Hurt One Another
- Buying of Mustard
- Cropping of Oakes
- Buying of Bees
- Selling of Mill Stones
- Robin Alive
- Bum to Busse
- A Foole Who Bobed Thee
- Shooing the Wild Colt
- Fire and No Snoke
- Jack Art Asleepe
- Gliffes
- Drolery or for Exercising the Wit & Making Sport
- Selling of Bargaines
- Dust Point
- Purposes
- Crosse Purposes
- Riddles
- Capping of Verses
- Riming
- Quoits
- Pennie Prick
- Boules
- Ten Pegs or 9 Pegs. Skittle Pins
- Trole Madame or Nine Holes
- Shovel Board
- Span Counter
- Nine Mens Maurice: Nine Men’s Morris
- 3 Mens Maurice: Three Men’s Morris
- Fox and Goose
- Draughts
- Cock Fighting
- Bul Bating, Cock Fighting &c., Throwing at Cocks, & Other Sports Where Animalls Kill One Another
- Bull Bating
- Bare Bating
- Duelling, Wrestling &c.
- Superstitions and Customs
References
Cram, David, Jeffrey L. Forgeng, and Dorothy Johnston (, originally published 2003). Francis Willughby’s Book of Games: a seventeenth-century treatise on sports, games and pastimes. Routledge: London & New York. ISBN: 978-1-85928-460-5.