1794: The Game of the Snake

Robert Laurie and James Whittle - The Royal Pastime of Cupid, or Entertaining Game of the Snake (London, 1794) Robert Laurie and James Whittle: The Royal Pastime of Cupid, or Entertaining Game of the Snake (London, 1794)

The rules:

  1. Haveing a pare of dice, it must be first agreed upon, what to play for, which is to be layd downe, & then you must throw – who shall play first.
  2. He that throws first of all Seven, must take notice what he hath throwne, for if it be 1 & 6, he goes forward to 16, if it be 2 & 5, to 25, if it be 4 and 3, he goeth to 43.
  3. He that throws upon cupid must not rest there, but goe as many forward as he hath throwne.
  4. He that throws upon 5 where the bridge is, must pay passage: that is, lay downe as much as he stake at ye first, and so he must goe forward to rest on ye chayre at 12 till all the rest have played once about.
  5. He that throws upon 18, must pay beveridge to Cupid, & stay with him till ye rest have played twice about or some body releace him.
  6. He that throws upon 30 must wash him self so long in ye fountayne till he be displaced by some other in whose place he must goe back agin.
  7. He that throws upon 38 must feast with Cupid, paying his share that is as much as he stakt downe at first, & must remayne there till his Companions have played once about.
  8. He that throws in ye labyrinth which is 46, must goe back to 23, & then play agin in his turne.
  9. He that comes in ye wood upon 54, is catcht in ye net, till he be delivered by sum other, in whose place he must goe back, paying his ransome.
  10. He that throws 59, where ye coffin stands, must give way to ye corps, pay for ye grave, & begin ye game again in his turne.
  11. If some person throws where any body else stands, then the first must give way to ye last going back into ye others place, paying his fine.
  12. He that comes first into the delightfull garden of Cupid, where 63 is he hath wun ye game: & is to begin ye new game againe, but if in case he throws above ye number of 63, then he must goe so far back ward, as he hath exceeded ye number.
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