It is not a new game. The exact
date of its origin is not known, and perhaps never will be, but we do
know that it was imported into England from France at a very early date.
Originally it was called "palmplay" because the palm was used to cast the
ball to the other side. And instead of the net, a mud-wall was used to
separate the two sides.
The game of tennis flourished in the time of Joan of Arc, for we find her
namesake, a certain Jean Margot, born in 1421, called the "amazon of
medieval tennis" by Paul Mouckton in his book, "Pastimes in Times Past."
He tells us also that she could play ball better than any man in France.
In the fifteenth century, tennis fell into disrepute because of the large
amount of betting. But gradually, with the passing of the years and the
development of the tennis courts, it once more came into its own, and
soon we find that it had become so popular and fashionable that it
threatened to eclipse even cricket, England's most popular outdoor game.
Then once again it lapses into neglect, not to return to the lawns and
courts again until 1874.
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