or CHANCE, in gaming. See GAMING.

a game on dice, without tables, is very properly so called; since it speedily makes a man, or undoes him.

It is played with only two dice; and as many may play at it as can stand round the largest round table.

Two things are chiefly to be observed, viz. main and chance; the latter belonging to the caster, and the former, or main, to the other gamesters. There can be no main thrown above nine, nor under five; so that five, fix, seven, eight, and nine, are the only mains flung at hazard. Chances and nicks are from four to ten: thus four is a chance to nine, five to eight, fix to seven, seven to fix, eight to five; and nine and ten a chance to five, fix, seven, and eight: in short, four, five, fix, seven, eight, nine, and ten, are chances to any main, if any of these nick it not. Now nicks are either when the chance is the same with the main, as five and five, or the like; or fix and twelve, seven and eleven, eight and twelve. Here observe, that twelve is out to nine, seven, and five; eleven is out to nine, eight, fix, and five; and ames-ace and duce-ace, are out to all mains whatever.

HAZLE, or HAZEL. See CORYLUS, BOTANY Index.

The kernels of the fruit have a mild, farinaceous, oily taste, agreeable to most palates. Squirrels and mice are fond of them, as well as some birds, such as jays, nutcrackers, &c. A kind of chocolate has been prepared from them, and there are instances of their having been formed into bread. The oil expressed from them is little inferior to the oil of almonds; and is used by painters and by chemists for receiving and retaining odours. The charcoal made of the wood is used by painters in drawing.—Some of the Highlanders, where superstition has not totally subsided, look upon the tree itself as unlucky; but are glad to get two of the nuts naturally conjoined, which is a good omen. These they call eno-chomhlaich, and carry them as an efficacious charm against witchcraft.

Evelyn tells us, that no plant is more proper for thickening of copes than the hazle, for which he directs the following expeditious method. Take a pole of hazle (ash or poplar may also be used) of 20 or 30 feet in length, the head a little lopped into the ground, giving it a chop near the ground to make it succumb; this fastened to the earth with a hook or two, and covered with some fresh mould at a competent depth (as gardeners lay their carnations), will produce a great number of suckers, and thicken and furnish a cope speedily.