I am overwhelmed with my gratitude to you and to the generous
dignitaries the Chancellors of your Universities, the Heads of your
great Public Seminaries, and the Principal of your renowned
Mary-le-bone College Club for the information they have given me
concerning "Le Criquette," your unique National game, and I thank
you in the name of my Committee for your present of
implements--_les wickettes_, _le boule de canon_, _les gros bois_
(the batsman's weapons), _le cuirasse pour les jambes de
Longstoppe_, and other necessaries for the dangers of the contest
that you have so kindly forwarded for our inspection. But most of
all are we indebted to you for sending over a 'ome team of your
brave professionals to play the match against our Parisian
"_onze_," for you rightly conjectured that by our experience of the
formidable game in action, we should be able to judge of its risks
and dangers, and after mature investigation be able so to revise
and ameliorate the manner of its playing as to bring it into
harmony with the taste and feeling of the athletic ambition of the
rising generation of our young France.
A Match has taken place, as you will see by "Le Score" subjoined,
which I enclose for your inspection. It was not without its fruits.
It disclosed to us, as you will remark by referring to "Le Score,"
very practically the dangerous, and I must add, the murderous
capabilities that "Le Cricquette" manifestly possesses. Our
Revising Committee has already the matter in hand, and when their
report is fully drawn up, I shall have much satisfaction in
forwarding it to you. Meantime, I must say that the substitution of
a light large ball of silk, or some other soft material for the
deadly "_boule de canon_" as used by your countrymen, has been
decided upon as absolutely necessary to deprive the game of
barbarism, and harmonise it with the instincts which Modern and
Republican France associates with the pursuit of a harmless
pastime. _Les wickettes_, as being too small for the Bowlsman to
reach them, should be raised to six feet high, and the Umpire, a
grave anomaly in a game cherished by a liberty-loving people,
should be instantly suppressed. The "overre," too, should consist
of sixteen balls. But this and many other matters are under the
consideration of the Committee. I now subjoin "Le Score" I
mentioned; a brief perusal of it will show you what excellent
grounds the Committee have for making the humanising alterations at
which I have hinted.
ALL FRANCE v. AN ENGLISH 'OME-TEAM.