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 seconde pawne y't standeth to fore the knyght on the right side of
the kynge hath the forme and figure of a man as a smyth and that is
reson For hit apperteyneth to y'e knyghtes to haue bridellys sadellys
spores and many other thynges made by the handes of smythes and ought to
holde an hamer in his right hande. And in his lyfte hand a dolabre and
he ought to haue on his gyrdell a trowell For by this is signefied all
maner of werkemen/ as goldsmithes. marchallis, smithes of all forges/
forgers and makers of monoye & all maner of smythes ben signefyed by
[55] the hamer/ The carpenters ben signefyed by the dolabre or squyer/
And by the trowell we vnderstande all masons & keruars of stones/
tylers/ and alle them that make howses castels & tours/ And to alle
these crafty men hit apperteyneth that they be trewe. wise and stronge/
and hit is nede y't they haue in hemself faith and loyaulte/ For vnto
the goldsmythes behoueth gold & siluer And alle other metallys. yren &
steel to other/ And vnto the carpenters and masons/ ben put to theyr
edifices the bodyes and goodes of the peple/ And also men put in the
handes of the maronners body and goodes of the peple/ And in the garde
and sewerte of them men put body & sowle in the paryls of the see/ and
therfore ought they to be trewe/ vnto whom men commytte suche grete
charge and so grete thynges vpon her fayth and truste. And therfore
sayth the philosopher/ he that leseth his fayth and beleue/ may lose no
gretter ne more thynge. And fayth is a fouerayn good and cometh of the
good wyll of the herte and of his mynde And for no necessite wyll
deceyue no man/ And is not corrupt for no mede. Valerius reherceth that
Fabius had receyuyd of hanybal certayn prysoners that he helde of the
romayns for a certayn some of money whiche he promysid to paye to the
sayd hanyball/ And whan he cam vnto the senatours of rome and desired to
haue y'e money lente for hem They answerd that they wold not paye ner
lene And than fabius sente his sone to rome & made hym to selle his
heritage & patrimonye/ and fente the money that he resseyuyd therof vnto
hanibal/ And had leuer & louyd better to be poure in his contrey of
herytage/ than of byleue and fayth/ But in thyfe dayes hit were grete
folye to haue fuche affiance in moche peple but yf they had ben preuyd
afore For oftentymes men truste in them by whom they ben deceyuyd at
theyr nede/ And it is to wete that these crafty men and werkemen ben
souerainly prouffitable vnto the world And wyth oute artificers and
werkmen the world myght not be gouerned/ And knowe thou verily that alle
tho thynges that ben engendrid on the erthe and on the see/ ben made and
formed for to do prouffit vnto the lignage of man/ for man was formed
for to haue generacion/ that the men myght helpe and prouffit eche other
And here in ought we to folowe nature/ For she shewed to vs that we
shold do comyn prouffit one to an other/ And y'e first fondement of
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