A Descriptive Bibliography of Edmond Hoyle

Copyright © 2014-26 by David Levy

(page updated 2026-01-20)


Games.7.P.1

Mr. Hoyle's Games, printed for P. Charles, piracy of seventh edition, "seventeenth" edition, 1775.

games.7.p.1.jpg Title: Mr. HOYLE's | GAMES | OF | [three lines to left of double rule] Whiſt, | Quadrille, | Picquet, | [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 | advantageous Terms. | INCLUDING, | The Laws of the ſeveral GAMES. | [rule] | The SEVENTEENTH 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. | [reverse oxford rule] | LONDON: | Printed for P. Charles in Batten-Row.
Collation: 12o: a6 B–D12 E12(−E12) F12(±F2) G–I12 K6 L1 [$½ (−B1,C6,D5,6,F6) signed; signing F4 as F5, F5 as F6]; 108 leaves, pp. [i–ii] iii–xii, [1–3] 4–90 [93–94] 95–117 [118–121] 122–124 [125] 126–152 [153] 154–166 [167–169] 170–206 [misprinting 67 as 76, 124 as 4, 205 as 206, 206 as 207]
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 play-|ing 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 | Calculations, 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 playing Sans Prendre. | To which are added, | The LAWS of the GAME. | The Eight Edition. | By Edmond Hoyle, Gent. | [row of type orn]
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 Eight 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 Eight 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, | [15 lines to left of rule] A Table of the thirty | ſix Chances, with Di|rections how to find | out the Odds of being | hit, upon ſingle or | double Dice. | Rules whereby a Begin-|ner may, with due | Attention to them, | attain playing it well. | The ſeveral Stages for | carrying your Men | home, in order to loſe | no Point. | How to find out who is | [14 lines to right of rule] forwardeſt to win a | Hit. | Caſes ſtated for Back-|Games, with Di-|rections how to play | for one. | Caſes ſtated, how to | know when you may | have the better of ſav-|ing a Gammon by | running. | Variety of Caſes of Cu-|rioſity 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) blank
a2r–a6v (iii–xii) ‘[row of type orn] | CONTENTS. | [...]’ a2v–a6v (iv–xii) ‘The CONTENTS.’
B1r (1) section title Whist
B1v (2) blank
B2r–E9v (3–90) ‘[row of type orn] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | WHIST. | [...]’ B2v–E9r (4–89) ‘A ſhort Treatise on | the Game of WHIST.’
on B6r (11), B7r (13), C8r (39), C12r (47), D8r (63), D9r (65), E4r (79), E6r (83) ‘the Game of WHIST’
E10r (93) section title Quadrille
E10v–F11r (94–117) ‘[row of type orn] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | QUADRILLE. | [...]’ E11r–F11r (95–117) ‘A ſhort Treatise on | the Game of QUADRILLE.’
on F3r (101) ‘the Game of WHIST.’
on F6r (107) ‘the Game of QUADRILE’
F11v (118) blank
F12r (119) section title Piquet
F12v (120) blank
G1r–H4v (121–152) ‘[row of type orn] | A | TREATISE | On the GAME of | PIQUET. | [...]’ G1v–H4v (122–152) ‘A Treatise on PIQUET.’
on G1v (122), G3r (125), G4r (127), H2r (147) ‘A Treatise on PIQUET’
H5r–H11v (153–166) ‘[row of type orn] | SOME | Rules and Observations | FOR | Playing well at CHESS. | [...]’ H5v–H11v (154–166) ‘Rules and Observations | for Playing at CHESS.’
on H8r (159), H10r (163) ‘for playing at CHESS.’
H12r (167) blank
H12v (168) section title Backgammon
I1r–L1v (169–206) ‘[row of type orn] | A SHORT | TREATISE | On the GAME of | BACK-GAMMON. | [...]’ I1v–L1r (170–205) ‘A ſhort Treatise on the | Game of BACK-GAMMON.’
on I6r (179), K3r (197) ‘Game of BACK-AAMMON.’
L1v (206) ‘A ſhort Treatise, &c.’
Publisher: P. Charles
References: ESTC T88030, Horr 663, Jessel 810, Rather 57
Copies Seen: L [1507/659]; L [7921.a.12] (Google); O [Jessel f.569]; NvLN [GV1243.H69 1811]; OCl [789.87H F77L]; PPL [Iu Hoyl Games 1773 62111.D]; Levy [1437]; Levy [1911]
Other Copies: C-2 [795.H867]
Notes: There is no record of a printer or publisher named P. Charles. This seems to be a piracy and was likely printed not long after Games.7

The cancellanda in gathering E survive in L[7921.a.12] and O[Jessel f.569]. Both section titles of quadrille are transcribed above.

The collation formula has been temporarily simplified. It should be 12o: a6 B-C12 D12 (-D9,10+D9.10) E12 (-E10,11,12+χ2) F12(±F2) G-I12 K6 L1

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