BILLARD. [François MINGAUD (1771-1847)]. Manuscript, [ca. 1827]; folio (34x23cm) of 16 ff.n.ch. containing 32 drawn and captioned diagrams, in reused cover (qq. slight foxing, qq. colored pastilles missing). On the different ways of playing billiards, Manuscript version of François Mingaud's Noble Jeu de billard, published in 1827, copies of which are extremely rare. François Mingaud is particularly famous for having had the idea, in 1823, of gluing a leather trim (soon to be known as the "procédé") to the end of the cue, giving the ball the famous "retro" effect, the basis of all modern technique. This book presents the fruit of his experience. It takes the form of a series of diagrams drawn in ink, with the balls represented by yellow, blue, red or brown dots, laminated on each page representing a billiard table. At the bottom is a handwritten caption indicating the strategy to be adopted, for example: "8. Play the 1-ball on the ball of your choice; and carom at will on any of the other three balls, without the played ball touching any cushion"; "19. Play the n° I ball on the red, bring out the n° 2, carambolate on the latter, and make the stroke of seven in the same blouse"; or again: "23. Play the n° I ball, block the red, stop at will the ball played in one of the three circles, turning it twelve to fifteen times on itself". The present manuscript includes 32 moves on 18 double-sided sheets, whereas the printed edition, entirely lithographed, presents 40 moves on 20 plates. This may be a provisional version preceding the original edition.