"Antonius was a wys emp_er_our regnyng in the cite of Rome, the which vsid moche to pley with houndis; and aftir þat pley, all þe day aftir he wolde vse þe chesse. So yn a day, as he pleide at þe chesse, & byheld the kyng fette yn the pley, som tyme hy and som tyme lowe, among aufyns and pownys, he thought þ_er_with þ_a_t hit wold be so with hi_m_, for he shuld dey, and be hid vndir erth. And þ_er_fore he devided his Reame in thre p_ar_ties; and he yaf oo part to þe kyng of Ier_usa_l_e_m; þe secunde p_ar_t vnto þe lordis of his Reame or his empire; and the thrid p_ar_tie vnto the pore people; & yede him self vnto the holy londe, and ther he endid his lyf in peas. MORALITE. Seth now, good sirs; this emp_er_our, þat lovith so wele play, may be called eche worldly man þat occupieth him in vanytes of the world; but he moste take kepe of the pley of the chesse, as did the emp_er_oure. the chekir or þe chesse hath viij. poyntes in eche p_ar_tie. In eu_er_y pley beth viij. kyndes of men, s_cil_. man, woman, wedewer, wedowis, lewid men, clerk_es_, riche men, and pou_er_e men. at this pley pleieth vj. men. the first man, þat goth afore, hath not but oo poynt, but whenne he goth aside, he takith anoþ_er_; so by a pou_er_e man; he hath not, but when he comyth to þe deth with pacience, þen shall he be a kyng in heuen, w_i_t_h_ þe kyng of pore men. But if he grucche ayenst his neighbour of his stat, and be a thef, and ravissh þat wher he may, þen he is ytake, and put in to the p_re_son of helle. The secund, f_cil_. alphyn, renneth iij. poyntes both vpward and douneward; [he] betokenyth wise men, the whiche by deceyuable eloquence & takyng of money deceyueth, & so he is made oonly. The iij. _scil._ þe kny3t, hath iij. poyntes, & goth þ_er_with; [he] betokenyth gentilmen þat rennyth aboute, & ravisshith, and ioyeth for her kynrede, & for habundaunce of richesse. The fourth, s_cil._ þe rook, he holdith length & brede, and takith vp what so is in his way; he betokenyth okerers and false m_er_chaunt3, þat rennyth aboute ouer all, for wynnyng & lucre, & rechith not how thei geten, so that thei haue hit. The fifthe is þe quene, that goth fro blak to blak, or fro white to white, and is yset befide þe kyng, and is ytake fro the kyng. This quene bytokenyth virgyns and damesels, þat goth fro chastite to synne, and beth ytake by the devill, for glovis or such man_e_r yiftis. The vj. is to whom all owe to obey and mynystre; and he goth forth, and bakward ayen, & in either side, & takith ouer all; so sone discendith in to þe world, and ascendith to god by praiers; But when he takith [no] kepe of god, and hath no meyne, þan is hit to þe man chekmate. And þ_er_fore let vs not charge of oure estatis, no more þan is w_i_t_h_ þe men, when þei be put vp in þe poket; then hit is no charge who be above