fOoot-Hall, 7 S

&> HE origin of foot-ball is lost in the past. In the days when the
I Greeks were writing text-books to distress the youth of the
19th century the Grecian boys played foot-ball, but not as we
see it to-day. All that we know was that the ball used was
an inflated bladder, and that it could be touched only by
the foot. Ata later day the Romans adopted the game, and
added the feature of seizing and carrying the ball. From the
Romans it was introduced into Great Britain, where it has long
been the national game. In fact, the interest of the American people in the
game of base-ball is insignificant ascompared to the interest the English people
take in foot-ball. In 1175 one wfiter mentions it as ‘‘a game much indulged in
by young men after dinner.” In the 14th century Edward III. and Richard II.
made it a crime to play foot-ball, in the hope that the young men would pay
more attention to archery. Ata later date James I. objected to the game on
account of its roughness, and in forbidding his sons to play it he said that the
“game was meeter for laming than making able the users thereof.” And,
indeed, there is good ground for his objection to it. Early in the present
century in England Shrove Tuesday was recognized as foot-ball day. Every-
body played it, old and young, men, women and children, and it is indeed
amusing to read of the precautions that were taken to prevent accidents. The.
people living near the grounds barricaded their doors and put heavy shutters
against the windows. As the ball itself could not be dangerous, we are forced
to conclude that the trouble was entirely with the players. Imagine, if you
can, several hundred and even thousands of people scrambling, running, push-
ing, jumping, falling over one another, in wild pursuit of the ball, anxious only
to send it out of reach again by a vigorous kick! Imagine, too, several balls
flying about in the same field! Think of the collision between two groups of
players! What aturmoil must haveensued! Surely the opportunity for elbows.
to burst through windows, for sensitive shins to come in contact with mis-
directed toes, for clumsy bodies to tumble to the earth and be tramped upon by »
the crowd was great indeed! This festival disappeared some time between 1825.
and 1830. Fora quarter of a century after that the game was played mostly in
academies. The famous school of Rugby made a game of its own, and, by the
way, should any of our readers desire an account of the excitement of a foot-ball
game, we know of none better than that given in “Tom Brown at Rugby.”
The game at the present time is played with eleven men ona side. The