[Z] Le Prince (Xavier) [illustrator] Les Jeux des Jeunes Garcons

Le Prince (Xavier) [illustrator] Les Jeux des Jeunes Garcons representes par un grand nombre Estampes accompagnes de l'explication detaille des regles, de fables inedites en d'anecdotes. Paris: chez Nepvue Librarie, Paysage de Panoramas no 26., n.d. [1821], landscape 8vo, contemporary half calf and marbled boards with morocco title label, coloured title-page vignette and 24 full-page coloured aquatints, in a custom solander box, title-page trimmed at base [publisher is deduced from the remains of the lettering]

Not in Padwick. The plates are all of children playing games, including shuttlecock (le Volant), skating, tennis (eu de paume), piggy back etc. Page 49 has a plate illustrating Le Criquet, which shows two boys with sticks attempting to hit a shorter stick - what used to be called tipcat.

In the description of cricket "Crosse" is used both as the name of the game and the implement used as a bat. The "goal" (wicket) is two stones, but later it is explained that "En Angleterre deux forts piquets de bois plantes en terre formant le but." ("two strong wooden stakes planted in the ground form the goal") This is preceded by a very basic description of the game, and followed by a description of what we would call French cricket. An earlier edition of 1815 has been seen with a different plate titled "Le Criquet" showing a boy with a curved bat rather like a hockey stick, defending a small goal defined by pebbles, whilst another boy is delivering a ball. The longest chapter is on longue paume, a forerunner of lawn tennis.

All editions of this title are rare. Gumuchian in Les Lives D'Enfance lists a later edition of 1822. Other copies are known with slightly different plates, usually black and white. The earlier edition has fewer pages.

Page 104ff has an early reference and illustration of ‘La Balle Empoisonnee [the poisoned ball]’, a game similar to baseball