![]() In 1600, the game was familiar enough to the public that Shakespeare mentioned it in Antony and Cleopatra. It has been know as the "Noble Game of Billiards" since the early 1800’s but there is evidence that people from all walks of life played the game since its inception. Most of our information about early billiards comes from accounts of playing by royalty and other nobles. ![]() The balls were shoved, rather than struck, with wooden sticks called "maces." The term "billiard" is derived from French, either from the word "billart", one of the wooden sticks, or "bille", a ball. Play moved indoors to a wooden table with green cloth to simulate grass, and a simple border was placed around the edges. It evolved from a lawn game similar to the croquet played some-time during the 15th century in Northern Europe and probably in France. The game has been played by kings and commoners, presidents, mental patients, ladies, gentlemen, and hustlers alike. The History of billiards is long and very rich. With permission of the Billiard Congress of America. Curator of The Billiard Archive, a nonprofit organization set up to preserve the game’s history. Condensed version of "A Brief History of the Noble Game of Billiards" By Mike Shamos.
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