ever, it held a
higher rank and was introduced at Court. Edward II. was partial to
this and other frivolous diversions, and spent much of his time in the
pursuit of them. In one of his wardrobe 'rolls,' or accounts, we find
the following entries--'Item, paid to Henry, the king's barber,
for money which he lent to the king to play at Cross and Pile, five
shillings. Item, paid to Pires Bernard, usher of the king's chamber,
money which he lent the king, and which he lost at Cross and Pile; to
Monsieur Robert Wartewille, eight-pence.'

A half-penny is now generally used in playing this game; but any other
coin with a head impressed will answer the purpose. One person tosses
the half-penny up and the other cries at pleasure HEAD or TAIL, and
loses according to the result.

Cross and Pile is evidently derived from the Greek pastime called Ostra
Kinda, played by the boys of ancient Greece. Having procured a shell,
they smeared it over with pitch on one side and left the other side
white. A boy tossed up this shell, and his antagonist called white or
black,(68) as he thought proper, and his success was determined by the
white or black part of the shell being uppermost.

(68) In the Greek, nux kai hmera, that is, 'night and day.'

It is the favourite game of the boys of London and the vicinity,
now, however, considerably, if not entirely, discontinued through the
vigilance of the police and the severity of the magistrates. Not long
ago, however, I witnessed a sad and striking scene of it at Twickenham.
It was on a Sunday morning. Several boys surrounded two players, one of
the latter being about 14 years of age, well dressed, and the other of
about 10 years, all in tatters and shoeless. The younger urchin had a
long run of good luck, whereat his antagonist exhibited much annoyance,
swearing intemperately. At length, however, his luck changed in turn,
and he went on winning until the former refused to play any longer,
saying--'There, you've got back all I won from you.' The bigger boy
became enraged at this refusal to continue the play, and seemed inclined
to resort to fisticuff, but I interposed and put a stop to the affray.
I then questioned the elder boy, and gathered from him that he played
as often as he could, sometimes winning or losing from eight to ten
shillings. 'And do you generally win? was my next question.' 'No, sir,'
he replied, 'I oftener lose.' I shuddered to conjecture what would be
the future of this boy.