When you carry your men home, in order to lose no points, carry the most distant men to your opponent's bar- point, as the first stage you are to place it on ; the next stage is six points fur- ther, namely in the place where your opponent's five men are first placed out of his tables ; the next stage is upon the sixth point in your tables. Pursue this method till your men are brought home, except two, when by losing a point, you may often save your gammon, by put- ting it in the power of two fives or two fours to save it. If you play to win a hit only, try to gain either your own or your adversary’s cinque point ; if that fails by your being hit, then you must throw more men into his tables, thus : put a man upon your cinque or bar point, and if he hit it, you may then gain a forward instead of a back game, but if he hits you, play for a back game ; and the greater num- ber of men which are taken up makes your game the better, because by that you preserve your game at home ; and must then always endeavour to gain both your adversary’s ace and trois points, or his ace and deuce points. At the beginning of a set, do not play for a back game ; that is, running the risk of a gammon to win a single hit. If you play three up, your principal object is, either to secure your own or your opponent’s cinque point ; when that is effected, you may play a pushing game, and endeavour to gammon him by so doing, The next best point, after having gained your cinque point, is to make your bar point ; thereby prevent- ing him running with two sixes. Then prefer making the quatre point in your own tables, rather than the quatre point out of them. Then you have a chance to gammon the adversary if he is very forward ; for if his tables ar6 broke at home, it will be your interest to open your bar point, to oblige him to come out of your tables with a six, and having your men spread, you not only catch that man your opponent brings out of your tables, but may also take up the man left in your table, (supposing that he had two men there.) And if he should have a blot at home, it will then be your interest not to make up your table, because if he enter upon a blot, which you are to make purpose- ly, you may get a third man ; which, if accomplished, will give you four to one of the gammon. If you play for a hit only, one or two of your opponent's men taken up, makes it surer than a greater number, providing your tables are made up. To play for a gammon you are to make blots purposely, the odds being that they are not hit ; but should it happen, in such cases you will have three men in your adversary’s tables ; you must then try to secure your adver- sary’s cinque, quatre, or trois point, to prevent a gammon ; and do not suffer him to take up a fourth man. If your opponent is greatly before you, never play a man from your quatre, trois, or deuce points, in order to bear that man from the point where you put it, because nothing but high doublets can give you any chance for the hit ; therefore, instead of playing an ace or a deuce from any of the afore- said points, always play them from your highest point ; by which means throw- ing two fives or two fours, will, upon having eased your six and cinque point, be of great advantage. But, had ypur six point remained loaded you might be obliged to play at length those fives and fours.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

When you carry your men home, in order to lose no points, carry the most distant men to your opponent's barpoint, as the first stage you are to place it on ; the next stage is six points further, namely in the place where your opponent's five men are first placed out of his tables ; the next stage is upon the sixth point in your tables. Pursue this method till your men are brought home, except two, when by losing a point, you may often save your gammon, by putting it in the power of two fives or two fours to save it. If you play to win a hit only, try to gain either your own or your adversary’s cinque point ; if that fails by your being hit, then you must throw more men into his tables, thus : put a man upon your cinque or bar point, and if he hit it, you may then gain a forward instead of a back game, but if he hits you, play for a back game ; and the greater number of men which are taken up makes your game the better, because by that you preserve your game at home ; and must then always endeavour to gain both your adversary’s ace and trois points, or his ace and deuce points. At the beginning of a set, do not play for a back game ; that is, running the risk of a gammon to win a single hit. If you play three up, your principal object is, either to secure your own or your opponent’s cinque point ; when that is effected, you may play a pushing game, and endeavour to gammon him by so doing, The next best point, after having gained your cinque point, is to make your bar point ; thereby preventing him running with two sixes. Then prefer making the quatre point in your own tables, rather than the quatre point out of them. Then you have a chance to gammon the adversary if he is very forward ; for if his tables are broke at home, it will be your interest to open your bar point, to oblige him to come out of your tables with a six, and having your men spread, you not only catch that man your opponent brings out of your tables, but may also take up the man left in your table, (supposing that he had two men there.) And if he should have a blot at home, it will then be your interest not to make up your table, because if he enter upon a blot, which you are to make purposely, you may get a third man ; which, if accomplished, will give you four to one of the gammon. If you play for a hit only, one or two of your opponent's men taken up, makes it surer than a greater number, providing your tables are made up. To play for a gammon you are to make blots purposely, the odds being that they are not hit ; but should it happen, in such cases you will have three men in your adversary’s tables ; you must then try to secure your adversary’s cinque, quatre, or trois point, to prevent a gammon ; and do not suffer him to take up a fourth man. If your opponent is greatly before you, never play a man from your quatre, trois, or deuce points, in order to bear that man from the point where you put it, because nothing but high doublets can give you any chance for the hit ; therefore, instead of playing an ace or a deuce from any of the aforesaid points, always play them from your highest point ; by which means throwing two fives or two fours, will, upon having eased your six and cinque point, be of great advantage. But, had ypur six point remained loaded you might be obliged to play at length those fives and fours.

Consult me