Game and Playe of the Chesse: A Verbatim Reprint of the First Edition, 1474Jacobus, de Cessolis, active 1288-1322
Philosophy
Game and Playe of the Chesse: A Verbatim Reprint of the First Edition, 1474
Jacobus, de Cessolis, active 1288-1322
Chess -- Early works to 1800
The Alphyns ought to be made and formed in manere of Iuges syttynge in a
chayer wyth a book open to fore their eyen/ And that is be cause that
some causes ben crymynell/ And some ben cyuyle as aboute possessyons and
other temporell thynges and trespaces/ And therfore ought to be two
Iuges in the royame/ one in the black for the first cause/ And that
other in whyte as for the seconde/ Theyr office is for to counceyll the
kynge/ And to make by his comandements good lawes And to enforme alle
the royame in good and vertuous maners/ And to Iuge and gyue sentence
well and truly after the caas is had/ And to counceyll well and Iustely
alle them that are counceyll of hem/ wyth oute hauynge of ony eye opene
to ony persone/ And to estudye diligently in suche wyse and to ordeygne
alle that/ that ought to be kept be obseruyd be faste and stable/ So
that they be not founde corrupt for yeft for favour ne for lignage ne
for enuye variable And as touchynge the first poynt Seneque sayth in the
book of benefetes that the poure Dyogenes was more stronge than
Alixandre/ For Alixandre coude not gyue fo moche as Diogenes
wold reffuse.
Marcus cursus a romayn of grete renome sayth thus. That whan he had
besiegid & assayllyd them of amente And boneuentans whiche herde that he
was poure/ they toke a grete masse and wegghe of gold and ended hit to
hym prayng hym that he wold resseyue hyt and leue his assault and siege/
And whan they cam with the present to hym they fonde hym sittynge on the
erthe and ete his mete oute of platers and disshes of tree and of wode
and dyde than her message/ to whom he answerd and sayde that they shold
goo hoome and saye to them that sente hem that marcus cursus loueth
better to be lord and wynne richesses than richesses shold wynne hym/
For by bataylle he shall not be ouercome and vaynquysshid Nor be gold ne
siluer he shal not be corrupt ne corompid Often tymes that thynge taketh
an euyll ende that is vntrewe for gold and siluer/ And that a man is
subgett vnto money may not be lord therof/ helimond reherceth that [50]
demoncene demanded of aristodone how moche he had wonne for pletynge of
a cause for his clyent/ And he answerd a marck of gold. [51] Demoscenes
answerd to hym agayn that he had wonne as moche for to hold his pees and
speke not Thus the tonges of aduocates and men of lawe ben þyllous and
domegeable/yet they must be had yf thou wylt wynne thy cause for wyth
money and yeft thou shall wynne And oftetymes they selle as welle theyr
scilence/ as theyr vtterance/ Valerius reherceth that the senatours of
rome toke counceyll to geder of two persones that one was poure/ And
that other riche and couetous/ whiche of hem bothe were moft apte for to
sende to gouerne and Iuge the contre of spayne/ and scipion of affricque
sayd that none of them bothe were good ner prouffitable to be sente
theder/ For that one hath no thynge And to that other may nothynge
suffise And despised in his saynge alle pouerte and auerice in a Iuge/
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