A Descriptive Bibliography of Edmond Hoyle

Copyright © 2014-26 by David Levy

(page updated 2026-01-20)


Games.7

Mr. Hoyle's Games, printed by assignment from T. Osborne, seventh London edition, "sixteenth" edition, 1775.

games.7.jpg Title: Mr. HOYLE's | GAMES | OF | [three lines to left of double rule] Whiſt, | Quadrille, | Piquet, | [three lines to right of double rule] Cheƒs, | AND | Back=Gammon, | COMPLETE. | In which are contained, | The Method of Playing and Betting | at those Games, upon equal, or ad-|vantageous Terms. | INCLUDING | The Laws of the ſeveral GAMES. | [rule] | The SIXTEENTH EDITION. | [rule] | To which are added, | Two new CASES at WHIST; | ALSO | The New Laws of the Game at Whiſt, | As played at | White's and Saunders’s Chocolate-Houſes. | [double rule] | LONDON: | Printed by Aſſignment from T. Osborne; for J. Riving-|ton and J. Wilkie, St. Paul’s Church-Yard; S. Crow-|der and R. Baldwin, Pater-noſter-Row; T. Cas-|lon, and B. Law, Stationers-Court; T. Lowndes, Fleet-|Street; F. Newbery, Ludgate-Street; W. Domville, | Royal-Exchange; T. Becket, in the Strand; T. Davies, | Covent-Garden; W. Davis, Piccadilly; and J. Ridley, | St. James's-Street. | {Price Three Shillings, neatly bound.}
Collation: 12o: a6 B–K12 [$½ (−B1) signed; signing H4v as H5]; 114 leaves, pp. [i–ii] iii–xii, [1–3] 4–91 [92–95] 96–120 [121–123] 124–156 [157] 158–172 [173–175] 176–216
Section Title Whist A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | WHIST. | CONTAINING | The LAWS of the GAME: | AND ALSO, | Some Rules whereby a Beginner may, with due Attention | to them, obtain to the playing it well. | Calculations for thoſe who will bet the Odds on any | Points of the Score of the Game then playing and depending. | Cases ſtated, to ſhew what may be effected by a very good | Player in critical Parts of the Game. | References to Cases, viz. at the End of the Rule, you | are directed how to find them. | Calculations, directing with moral Certainty, how to | play well any Hand or Game, by ſhewing the Chances of | your Partner’s having 1, 2, or 3 certain Cards. | With Variety of Cases added in the Appendix. | [rule] | By Edmond Hoyle, Gent. | [rule] | The Laws of the Game, and an Explanation of the Calcula-|tions which are neceſſary to be underſtood by thoſe who | would play it well. | and Also | A Dictionary for WHIST, which reſolves almoſt | all the critcal Caſes that may happen at the Game. | To which is added, | An ARTIFICIAL MEMORY: | Or, An eaſy Method of aſſiſting the Memory of | thoſe that play at the Game of WHIST.
Section Title Quadrille [row of type orn] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | QUADRILLE; | SHEWING | The Odds of winning or loſing moſt Games | that are commonly played, either by calling | a King, or by playing Sans Prendre. | To which are added | The LAWS of the GAME. | The Seventh Edition. | By Edmond Hoyle, Gent. | [row of type orn]
Section Title Piquet and Chess [row of type orn] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | PIQUET; | DIRECTING, | With moral Certainty, how to diſcard any | Hand to Advantage, by ſhewing the Chances | of taking in any one, two, three, four, or | five certain Cards. | Computations for thoſe who Bet their | Money at the Game. | ALSO | The LAWS of the GAME. | To which are added, | Some Rules and Observations | for playing well at CHESS. | The Seventh Edition. | By Edmond Hoyle, Gent. | [row of type orn]
Section Title Backgammon [row of type orn] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | BACK-GAMMON. | CONTAINING | [12 lines to left of rule] A Table of the thirty-ſix | Chances, with Directions | how to find out the Odds of | being hit, upon ſingle or | double Dice. | Rules whereby a Beginner | may, with due Attention | to them, attain playing it | well. | The ſeveral Stages for carry-|ing your Men home, in | order to loſe no Point. | [12 lines to right of rule] How to find out who is for-|wardeſt to win a Hit. | Caſes ſtated for Back-Games, | with Directions how to play | for one. | Caſes ſtated, how to know | when you may have the bet-|ter of ſaving a Gammon by | running. | Variety of Caſes of Curioſity | and Inſtruction. | The Laws of the Game. | The Eighth Edition. | By Edmond Hoyle, Gent. | [row of type orn]
Contents: Signature (Page) Reference Contents Signature (Page) Reference Running Titles
a1r (i) title
a1v (ii) ‘ADVERTISEMENT. | [...] | To the READER. | [...] | [woodblock autograph of Edmond Hoyle]’
a2r–a6v (iii–xii) ‘[row of type orn] | CONTENTS. | [...]’ a2v–a6v (iv–xii) ‘The CONTENTS.’
B1r (1) section title Whist
B1v (2) blank
B2r–E10r (3–91) ‘[double rule] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | WHIST. | [...]’ B2v–E10r (4–91) ‘A ſhort Treatise on | the Game of WHIST.’
E10v (92) blank
E11r (93) section title Quadrille
E11v (94) blank
E12r–F12v (95–120) ‘[oxford rule] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | QUADRILLE. | [...]’ E12v–F12r (96–119) ‘A ſhort Treatise on | the Game of QUADRILLE.’
F12v (120) ‘A ſhort Treatise, on &c.’
G1r (121) section title Piquet
G1v (122) blank
G2r–H6v (123–156) ‘[oxford rule] | A | TREATISE | On the GAME of | PIQUET. | [...]’ G2v–H6v (124–156) ‘A Treatise on PIQUET.’
H7r–I2v (157–172) ‘[double rule] | SOME | Rules and Observations | FOR | Playing well at CHESS. | [...]’ H7v–I2r (158–171) ‘Rules and Observations | for playing at CHESS.’
I2v (172) ‘Rules and Observations, &c.’
I3r (173) section title Backgammon
I3v (174) blank
I4r–K12v (175–216) ‘[oxford rule] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | BACK-GAMMON. | [...]’ I4v–K12r (176–215) ‘A ſhort Treatise on the | Game of BACK-GAMMON.’
on K12r (215) ‘GAME of BACK-GAMMON.’
K12v (216) ‘A ſhort Treatise, &c.’
Catchwords: C2r(27) II. If [II. Second]
Press Figures: a3v(i):4; B8r(i):8; B12v(o):4; C1v(i):3; C2v(o):1; D6v(o):1; D12r(i):4; E1v(i):1; E6v(o):3; F5v(i):7; F8v(o):4; G5v(i):5; G7r(o):6; H7v(i):2; I7r(o):4; I8r(i):5; K6v(o):4; K8r(i):2
Publisher: John Rivington, John Wilkie, Stanley Crowder, Robert Baldwin I, Thomas Caslon, Bedwell Law, Thomas Lowndes, Francis Newbery, William Domville, Thomas Becket, Thomas Davies, William Davis, James Ridley
Advertisements: 1775-06-09 Morning Chronicle and London Advertiser: “This day are published, price three shillings, neatly bound in red leather...☞This is the only genuine edition of Hoyle's Games, with his last corrections and improvements; and the proprietors cannot help giving this caution, that any copy of this book not signed 'Edmond Hoyle,' at the back of the title page, is not to be depended upon as Mr. Hoyle's, whatever may be pretended to impose upon the public.”
Price: 3s. (title, advertisement)
References: ESTC T88029, Horr 662, Jessel 809, Rather 52
Copies Seen: ABu [GY 795 Hoy]; BFl [I.795/HOYL (b1124997)]; L [7918.a.74] (ECCO); O [Jessel f.568]; Copisarow; CLU-SC [GV1241.H85g 1772]; NvLN [GV1241.H6 1770]; OCl [GV1241.H68 1775X]; PPL [In Hoyl Allen 335]; TNJ [GV1241.H8 M16]; Levy [1020]
Other Copies: C [Fitzwilliam]; HAG [KW 972 F 32]; LT [Wb 741]; TNMS [423]; CaAEU [GV1241.H86]; CaQMM [RT2 1750 438-004]; ICN [V163.425]; MH [SG 3117.72]; MNS [LWL 63 770 H85]; NN [R Pforz (Misc) Hoyle 1770]; NNC-RB [GV1241.H6 1770g]; NjP [42845.479.144]; OKentU [SpC GV1241.H6 1770]; AuANL [RB MISC 1694]
Notes: The OCl copy has press figure 4 on page K2v instead of K6v. It seems likely that the odd signature on H4v was intended to be a press figure, as otherwise there is none in the outer forme of gathering H. Indeed the PPL copy has a press figure of 5 on H8v.

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