Joined along by a passage, you may reach the great, sunny, glass-
roofed, and tiled gymnasium, at the far end of which, lined with
bright marble, is your plunge and swimming bath, fitted with a
capacious boiler.
The whole loft of the house from end to end makes one undivided
chamber; here are set forth tables on which to model imaginary or
actual countries in putty or plaster, with tools and hardy pigments;
a carpenter's bench; and a spared corner for photography, while at
the far end a space is kept clear for playing soldiers. Two boxes
contain the two armies of some five hundred horse and foot; two
others the ammunition of each side, and a fifth the foot-rules and
the three colours of chalk, with which you lay down, or, after a
day's play, refresh the outlines of the country; red or white for the
two kinds of road (according as they are suitable or not for the
passage of ordnance), and blue for the course of the obstructing
rivers. Here I foresee that you may pass much happy time; against a
good adversary a game may well continue for a month; for with armies
so considerable three moves will occupy an hour.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285