Game and Playe of the Chesse Part 10

[Ill.u.s.tration]

_The seuenth chapitre of the fourth book treteth of the yssue of the comyn peple &c._

One yffue and one mouynge apperteyneth vnto alle the peple/ For they may goo fro the poynt they stande in at the first meuynge vnto the thirde poynt right forth to fore them/ & whan they haue so don they may afterward meue no more but fro one poynt ryght forth in to an other/ And they may neuer retorne backward And thus goynge forth fro poynt to poynt They may gete by vertue and strengthe/ that thynge that the other n.o.ble fynde by dignyte/ And yf the knyghtes and other n.o.bles helpe hem that they come to the ferthest lygne to fore them where theyr aduersaryes were sette. They acquyre the dignyte that the quene hath graunted to her by grace/ For yf ony of them may come to thys sayd ligne/ yf he be white as labourer draper phisicyen or kepar of the cyte ben/ they reteyne suche dignyte as the quene hath/ for they haue goten hit/ and than retornynge agayn homeward/ they may goo lyke as it is sayd in the chapitre of the quene And yf ony of the p.a.w.ns that is black/ as the smyth the marchant the tauerner and the rybaulde may come wyth oute domage in to the same vtterist ligne/ he shall gete by his vertu the dignyte of the black quene And y'e shall vnderftande/ whan thyse comyn peple meue right forth in her ligne/ and fynde ony n.o.ble persone or of the peple of their aduersaries sette in the poynt at on ony side to fore hym/ In that corner poynt he may take his aduersarye wherther hit be on the right side or on the lifte/ And the cause is that the aduersaries ben suspecyous that the comyn peple lye In a wayte to Robbe her goodes or to take her persones whan they goo vpward right forth. And therfore he may take in the right angle to fore hym one of his aduersaries/ As he had espied his persone/ And in the lifte angle as robber of his goodes/ and whether hit be goynge foreward or retornynge fro black to whyte or whyte to black/ the p.a.w.n must allway goo in his right ligne/ and all way take in the corner that he findeth in his waye/ but he may not goo on neyther side tyll he hath ben in the furdest ligne of theschequer/ And that he hath taken the nature of the draughtes of the quene/ And than he is a fiers/ And than he may goo on alle sides cornerwyse fro poynt to poynt only as the quene doth fightynge and takynge whom he findeth in his waye/ And whan he is thus comen to the place where y'e n.o.bles his aduersaries were sette he shall be named white fiers or black fiers/ after the poynt that he is in/ and there taketh he the dignyte of the quene &c. And all these thinges may appere to them that beholden y'e play of the chesse/ and y'e shall vnderstande that no n.o.ble man ought to haue despite of the comyn peple/ for hit hath ben ofte tymes seen/ that by their vertu & witte/ Diuerce of them haue comen to right highe & grete astate as p.o.o.pes bisshoppes Emerours and kynges/ As we haue in the historye of Dauid that was made kynge/ of a shepherd and one of the comyn peple/ and of many other &c. And in lyke wyse we rede of the contrary/ that many n.o.ble men haue ben brought to myserye by their defaulte As of gyges whiche was right riche of landes and of richesses And was so proude that he wente and demanded of the G.o.d appollo/ yf ther were ony in the world more riche or more happy than he was/ and than he herde a voys that yssued out of the fosse or pitte of the sacrefices/ that a peple named agalaus sophide whiche were poure of goodes and riche of corage was more acceptable than he whiche was kynge And thus the G.o.d Appollo alowed more the sapience & the seurte of the poure man and of his lityll mayne/ than he dide the astate and the persone of giges ne of his ryche mayne/ And hit is more to alowe a lityll thynge seurly poursiewed than moche good taken in fere and drede And for as moche as a man of lowe lignage is by his vertue enhaunsed so moche the more he ought to be glorious and of good renomee/ virgile that was born in lombardye of y'e nacion of mantua and was of lowe and symple lignage/ yet he was souerayn in wisedom and science and the moste n.o.ble of alle the poetes/ of whome the renome is and shall be durynge the world/ so hit happend that an other poete axid and demanded of hym wherfore he setted not the versis of homere in his book/ And he answerd that he shold be of right grete strength and force that shold pluck the clubbe out of hercules handes/ And thys suffyceth the state and draughtis of the comyn peple &c.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

_The eyght chapitre and the last of the fourth book of the epilogacion and recapitulation of this book._

For as moche as we see and knowe that the memorye of the peple is not retentyf but right forgetefull whan some here longe talis & historyes whiche they can not alle reteyne in her mynde or recorde Therfore I haue put in this present chapitre all y'e thynges abouesayd as shortly as I haue conne/ First this playe or game was founden in the tyme of euilmerodach kynge of Babilone/ And exerses the philosopher otherwyse named philometer fonde hit/ And the cause why/ was for the corre3tion of the kynge lyke as. .h.i.t apperith in thre the first chapitres/ for the said kynge was so tyrannous and felon that he might suffre no correction/ But slewe them and dide do put hem to deth/ that corre3tid hym/ and had than do put to deth many right wyse men Than the peple beynge sorowfull and ryght euyll plesid of this euyll lyf of the kynge prayd and requyred the philosopher/ that he wolde repryse and telle the kynge of his folye/ And than the philosopher answerd that he shold be dede yf he so dide/ and the peple sayd to hym/ Certes thou oughtest sonner wille to dye to thende that thy renome myght come to the peple/ than the lyf of the kynge shold contynue in euyll for lacke of thy counceyll/ or by faulte of reprehension of the/ or that thou darst not doo and shewe/ that thou faist/ And whan the philosopher herd this he promisid to the peple y't he wold put hym in deuoyr to correcte hym/ and than he began to thynke in what maner he myght escape the deth and kepe to the peple his promesse/ And than thus he made in this maner and ordeyned the schequer of. lxiiii. poynts as Is afore sayd/ And dide doo make the forme of chequers of gold and siluer In humayne fygure after the facyons and formes as we haue dyuysid and s.h.i.+ewid to yow to fore in theyr chapitres/ And ordeyned the moeuynge and thestate after that it is said in the chapitres of theschesses And whan the philosopher had thus ordeyned the playe or game/ and that hit plesid alle them that sawe hit/ on a tyme as the philosopher playd on hit/ the kynge cam and sawe hit and desired to playe at this game/ And than the phylosopher began tenseigne and teche the kynge the science of the playe & the draughtes. Saynge to hym fyrst how the kynge ought to haue in hymself pytie. debonairte and rightwisnes as. .h.i.t is said to fore in the chapitre of the kynge And he enseygned to hym the estate of the queue and what maners she ought to haue And than of the alphyns as connceyllours and luges of the royame And after the nature of the knyghtes/ how they ought to be wise. trewe and curtoys and alle the ordre of knyghthode And than after/ the nature of the vicaires & rooks as. .h.i.t apperyth in theyr chappitre And after this how the comyn peple ought to goo eche in his office/ And how they ought to serue the n.o.bles. And whan the philosopher had thus taught and enseigned the kynge and his n.o.bles by the maner of the playe and had rephended hym of his euyll maners/ The kynge demanded hym vpon payne of deth to telle hym the cause why and wherfore he had made & founden thys playe and game And what thynge meuyd hym therto/ And than the philosopher constrayned by fere and drede answerd/ that he had promysid to the peple whiche had requyred hym that he shold correcte and reprise the kynge of his euyll vices/ but for as moche as he doubtid the deth and had seen that the kynge dide do flee the f.a.ges & wyse men/ That were so hardy to blame hym of his vices/ he was in grete anguysshe & sorowe/ how he myght fynde a maner to correcte & reprehende the kynge/ And to saue his owen lyf/ and thus he thought longe & studyed that he fonde thys game or playe/ Whiche he hath do sette forth for to amende and corre3te the lyf of the kynge and to change his maners/ and he adioustyd with all that he had founden this game for so moche as the lordes and n.o.bles habondynge in delyces & richessis/ And enioynge temporell peas shold eschewe ydlenes by playnge of this game/ And for to gyue hem cause to leue her pensisnes and sorowes/ In auysynge & studyynge this game. And whan the kynge had herd alle thyse causes/ He thought that the philosopher had founde a good maner of correction/ And than he thanketh hym gretly/ and thus by thenseygnement and lernynge of the phylosopher he changid his lyf his maners & alle his euyll condicions And by this maner hit happend that the kynge that to fore tyme had ben vicyous and disordynate in his liuyng was made Iuste. and vertuous. debonayre. gracious and and full of vertues vnto alle peple/ And a man that lyuyth in this world without vertues liueth not as a man but as a beste[56]/ And therfore my ryght redoubted lord I pray almighty G.o.d to saue the kyng our souerain lord & to gyue hym grace to yssue as a kynge & tabounde in all vertues/ & to be a.s.sisted with all other his lordes in such wyse y't his n.o.ble royame of Englond may prospere & habounde in vertues/ and y't synne may be eschewid iustice kepte/ the royame defended good men rewarded malefa3tours punyss.h.i.+d & the ydle peple to be put to laboure that he wyth the n.o.bles of the royame may regne gloriously In conquerynge his rightfull enheritaunce/ that verray peas and charite may endure in bothe his royames/ and that marchandise may haue his cours in suche wise that euery man eschewe synne/ and encrece in vertuous occupacions/ Praynge your good grace to resseyue this lityll and symple book made vnder the hope and shadowe of your n.o.ble protection by hym that is your most humble seruant/ in gree and thanke And I shall praye almighty G.o.d for your longe lyf & welfare/ whiche he preserue And sende yow thaccomplisshement of your hye n.o.ble. Ioyous and vertuous desirs Amen:/: Fynyss.h.i.+d the last day of marche the yer of our lord G.o.d. a. thousand foure honderd and lxxiiii

[Footnote 1: Blades' "Life of Caxton," ii., 12.]

[Footnote 2: Mr. Blades enumerates only ten, but between the publication of his work in 1863 and the appearance in 1880 of a more popular one, an eleventh copy turned up. It is described further on. As both editions of Mr. Blades' book are frequently cited, it may be stated here that where the reference is to the page only, the one volume edition of 1880 is meant.]

[Footnote 3: Blades, ii., 12.]

[Footnote 4: Van der Linde, "Geschichte und Literatur des Schachspiels,"

Berlin, 1874, ii., 125.]

[Footnote 5: Blades, ii., 48.]

[Footnote 6: Blades, ii., 97.]

[Footnote 7: Blades, ii., 95.]

[Footnote 8: Dibdin's "Bibliotheca Spenceriana," iv., 195.]

[Footnote 9: See Prosper Marchand, "Dict. Hist.," t. i., p. 181.]

[Footnote 10: "Les Bibliotheques Francoises de La Croix du Maine et de Du Verdier." n. e. Paris, 1782, t. i., p. 493.]

[Footnote 11: Dr. Van der Linde, "Geschichte," 114.]

[Footnote 12: Cf. Van der Linde, "Geschichte," and his "Jartausend."]

[Footnote 13: Jaubert, cited by Van der Linde, "Geschichte," t. i., p.

122.]

[Footnote 14: Blades' "Caxton," 173-175.]

[Footnote 15: Blades, i., 166.]

[Footnote 16: "Geschichte," i., 29. There is a ma.n.u.script copy in the Chetham Library, Manchester, which he does not name. It came from the Farmer Collection, and is in a volume containing a number of fifteenth century Latin tracts. See account of European MSS. in the Chetham Library, Manchester, by James Orchard Halliwell, F.R.S., Manchester, 1842, p. 15.]

[Footnote 17: "Bulletin du Bibliophile," 1836-1837, 2ieme serie, p.

527.]

[Footnote 18: "Academy," July 12, 1881.]

[Footnote 19: Blades' "Life of Caxton," vol. ii., p. 9.]

[Footnote 20: "De regimine Principum," a poem by Thomas Occleve, written in the reign of Henry IV. Edited, for the first time, by Thomas Wright, Esq., M.A., F.S.A., &c. Printed for the Roxburghe Club. London: J. B.

Nichols, 1860, 410.]

[Footnote 21: Warton's "History of English Poetry," 1871, iii., 44.]

[Footnote 22: The fires of purgatory are finely and amply ill.u.s.trated in the story at p. 110, whilst the power of the saints and the value of pilgrimages would be impressed upon the hearers by the narrative of the miracles wrought by St. James of Compostella (p. 136)]

[Footnote 23: "Hist. of Siege of Troye."]

[Footnote 24: "Works of Polidore Virgil." London, 1663, p. 95.]

[Footnote 25: Graesse: Tresor, s.v. Sydrach. See also Warton's "History of English Poetry," 1871, vol. ii., p. 144, Hazlitt's "Handbook of Early English Literature," p. 43.]

[Footnote 26: Hoeffer: "Nouvelle Biographie Universelle."]

[Footnote 27: Hoeffer, "Nouvelle Biographie Generale," x.x.xiii. 818.]

[Footnote 28: Brunei, "Manuel du Libraire," s. v. Gesta.]

[Footnote 29: "Gesta Romanorum," edited by Herrtage. London, 1879, p.

vii.]

[Footnote 30: Occleve, "De Regimine Principum," p. 199.]

[Footnote 31: "Curiosities of Search Room." London, 1880, p. 32.]

[Footnote 32: "Percy Anecdotes: Domestic Life," iv. 446.]

[Footnote 33: Dunlop, "History of Fiction," 1876, p. 259.]

[Footnote 34: "Latin Stories," edited by Thomas Wright. Percy Society, 1842, p. 222.]

[Footnote 35: See "Gesta Romanorum," edit, by Herrtage, p. 364.]

[Footnote 36: "On Two Collections of Mediaeval Moralized Tales," by John K. Ingram, LL.D. Dublin, 1882, p. 137.]

[Footnote 37: Muratori: "Rerum Italicarum Scriptores," t. i. p. 465.]