all, is impotent, either to attack his enemies or to defend himself, without the assistance of his people.

The game is said to have been invented by the wife of Kavan, king of Lanca (Ceylon), in order to amuse him with an image of war (field war, I suppose), while his metropolis was closely besieged by Kama, in the second age of the world. According to sir William Jones's Chronology of the Hindoos, Kama appeared on earth 3800 years ago.

The Chinese draw a river on the chessboard, but they have no piece representing a ship, which the Hindoos have, and which has the power of a modern bishop. The Chinese, instead of a ship, use a chariot. The Chinese call this game choke-choohong-ki (the play of the science of war). The Burmhan name for chess is chit-thareen, a term applied by them either to a generalissimo, or warfare; an etymologist might perhaps trace it as a corruption of the Sanscrit cha-tur-anga (the four angas, or members, of an army). The Persians' game and table are both called shatrang, or, more commonly, shutrung.

The piece we call the queen, the hon. Daines Barrington derives from the Persian pherz, or general, and exposes the absurdity of calling this piece a queen, by asking how we are to metamorphose a foot soldier, or pawn, into a queen, as admitted in the English game. The blunder appears to have arisen from French gallantry. Vierge, in French, is virgo; and, consorting with the king, they, by a very natural transition, made their virgin a queen.

The bishop (formerly fil, an elephant), the knight (originally aswa, horse), the rooks (at first rat'huan, armed chariot, or rookh, a hero), and the pawn (from peon, an attendant), are the pieces which, with the king and queen, are played with in European games.

March 2, 1831.

C. J. HAMPTON.

CHESS MEMORANDA. [For the Year Book.]

The learned Hyde has undertaken to show, from undoubted authorities, that chess was first invented in India, and passed from thence to Persia, before the year of Christ 576, and from Persia to Arabia.

Sir William Jones is of the same opinion. He says, "If evidence were required to prove this fact, we may be satisfied

with the testimony of the Persians, who, though as much inclined as other nations to appropriate the ingenious inventions of foreign people, unanimously agree that the game was imported from the west of India, in the sixth century of our æra."

The honorable Daines Barrington, in his "Historical Disquisition on the game of Chess,* asserts and maintains the claim of the Chinese as inventors. Du Halde cites a Chinese treatise, by which it appears that it is the favorite game of that country, and a Chinese MS. is in existence, which relates that, 379 years after the time of Confucius, or 1965 years ago, Hung Cochu, king of Kiangnan, sent an expedition into the Shense country, under the command of a mandarin, called Hansing, to conquer it. After one successful campaign, the soldiers were put into winter quarters, where, finding the weather much colder than they had been accustomed to, and being also deprived of their wives and families, the army in general became clamorous to return home. Hansung, upon this, revolved in his mind the bad consequences of complying with their wishes. The necessity of soothing his troops, and reconciling them to their condition, in order to complete his operations in the following year, appeared urgent, and therefore, after much consideration, he invented the game of chess, as well to amuse his men in their vacant hours, as to inflame their military ardor, the game being wholly founded on the principles of war. The stratagem succeeded. The soldiers forgot, in their mimic contests, the inconveniences of their post. In the spring the general took the field again, and in a few months added the rich country of Shense to the kingdom of Kiangnan, by the defeat and capture of its king, Choupayuen. On this conquest Hung Cochu assumed the title of emperor, and Choupayuen slew himself.

Of the European nations the Italians were the first who became acquainted with this ingenious game, which was probably introduced among them by the first crusaders, who, before the destruction of the eastern empire, often remained for some time at Constantinople.

Hyde supposes that chess was first known in England about the time of the conquest, because the court of Exchequer

* Archælogia, ix.

was then first established; but we find in Gale's edition of Hist. Ramsieins (c. 85) that, when bishop Etheric obtained admission to Canute the great, upon some urgent business, about midnight, he found the king and his courtiers engaged at play, some at dice, and others at chess. From Hist. Olai Magni (p. 572), we learn that when a young nobleman applied for permission to pay his addresses to his daughter, the parent commonly made a trial of his temper by playing with him at dice or chess, before he gave him an answer.

From the treatise entitled "Ye game yt Chesse," and printed by Caxton, in 1474, it appears that this game was not uncommon during the reign of Edward IV. The mention, and especially the extreme rarity, of this book, may excuse the following extract from it."This book is deuyded and departed into four traytyes and partyes. "The first traytye.

"How the play of chesse was fyrst founden,and vnder what kyng. Cap. "Who fonde first the play of the chesse. Ca.

i

ii

"Of kepers of townes, receyuers of custom, and tollenars. Ca..

"Of messagers, currours, rybauldes, and players at the dyse. Ca..

viii

"The fourth traytye.

"Of the chesse-borde in genere, how

it is made. Ca..

1

"Of thyssue of the comyn peple, whom the pawnes represente. Ca. vii "Of the epilogacion, and recapitula

cion of thys book. Ca. .

viii.

The book ends with these words :-" And by this maner it happend that the kyng, that tofore tyme had ben vyctous, and disordynate in his lyuyng, was made just and vertuous, debonayr, gracious, and ful of vertues vnto all peple. And a man that lyuyth in thys world wythout vertues, lyueth not as man, but as a beste. Thenne late every man, of what condicion he be that redyth or hereth this litel book redde, take therby ensaumple to amende hym.Explicit, per Caxton." This is the first book that was ever printed in England.

It is certain that chess was a fashionable amusement in most houses of rank, in the time of Richard III. Elizabeth was a chess player, and Charles the Martyr is supposed to have been a player at this game, though he advises his son against it because it is "overwise."

In France this game seems to have been known at an earlier period than in England. Carte avers that, at a chess match between Henry I., before his accession to the throne of England, and Louis le Gros, son of Philip of France, which took place at Philip's court, in 1087, Louis having lost several games to Henry, and much money, threw the chess men at Henry's face, who retaliated the affront by flooring Louis with the board, and was proceeding to kill him outright, when his elder brother, Robert, timely interposed. John of Salisbury relates that, in a battle between the French and English, in 1117, an English knight, seizing the bridle of Louis le Gros, and crying out "the king's taken," Louis struck him to the ground with his sword, saying, "Ne scais tu pas qu'aux echecs on ne prend pas le roy?" "Dost thou not know that at chess the king is never taken ?" In the reign of Charles V., of France, the king, according to Froissart, played at this game with the duke of Burgundy.

It has been shown that this game was popular among the English, before the introduction of cards; this may account

for the "checquers" placed at the doors of public houses, which might have originally been intended to advertise the people that their favorite amusement could be enjoyed within. Brand, however, is of a different opinion; "the checquers," saith he, "were originally intended, I should suppose, for a kind of draught-board, called tables, and showed that there that game might be played. From their color, which was red, and the similarity to a lattice, it was corruptly called the red lettuce, which word is frequently used by ancient writers to signify an ale-house."

These necessarily hasty and imperfect observations may conclude with honest Caxton's "Description of the Pieces and Pawns," as it stands with its modernised autography, in the Rev. T. Frogual Dibdin's "Typographical Antiquities."

"Description of the Pieces.

"THE KING must be thus made: for he must set in a chair clothed in purple, crowned on his head; in his right hand a sceptre, in his left hand an apple of gold."

"Thus ought THE QUEEN to be made: she ought to be a fair lady, sitting in a chair, and crowned with a crown on her head, and clad with a cloth of gold, and a mantle above furred with ermine; and she should sit on the left side of the King, for the amplections and embracings of her husband."

"THE ALPHYNS [or BISHOPS] ought to be made and formed in manner of judges sitting in a chair, with a book open before their eyes; and that is because that some causes be criminal, and some civil."

"THE KNIGHT ought to be made all armed upon an horse, in such wise that he have an helm on his head, and a spea in his right hand, and covered with his shield, a sword and a mace in his left side; clad with an hawberk, and plates before his breast, leg-harness on his legs, spurs on his heels, on his hands his gauntlet, his horse well broken and taught, and apt to battle, and covered with arms."

"THE ROOKS, which be vicars andl egates to the King, ought to be made like a knight upon a horse, and a mantel and hood furred with meneuyer, holding a staff in his hand."

"Description of Pawns.

"The first Pawn that is in the play of the chess, signifieth a man of the Common People, for they be all called picsons; that is as much as to say, footmen. And then we will begin at the pawn which standeth

before the rook on the right side of the King, for as much as this pawn appertaineth to serve the vicar or lieutenant of the King, and other officers under him, of necessaries of victual. And this manner of people is figured and ought to be made in the form and shape of a man, holding in his right hand a spade or shovel, and a rod in the left hand. The spade or shovel is to delve and labour therewith the earth, and the rod is to drive and conduct withal the beasts unto her pasture. Also, he ought to have on his girdle a crooked hatchet for to cut off the superfluities of the vines and trees."

"The second Pawn, that standeth before the knight on the right side of the King, hath the form and figure of a man as a Smith, and that is reason; for it appertaineth to the knight to have bridles, saddles, spurs, and many other things made by the hands of smiths; and [he] ought to hold a hammer in his right hand, and in his left hand a dolabre; and he ought to have on his girdle a trowel."

"The third Pawn, which is set before the Alphyn on the right side, ought to be figured as a clerk, and it is reason that he should be so (here the reasons, not very interesting ones, are specified); and this pawn ought to be made and figured in this manner: he must be made like a man that holdeth in his right hand a pair of shears, or forcetis (forceps), and in the left a great knife, and on his girdle a penner and inkhorn,and on his ear a pen to write with."

"The fourth Pawn is set before the King, and is formed in the form of a man holding in his right hand a balance, and the weight in the left hand, and before him a table, and at his girdle a purse full of money, ready for to give to them that require it; and by this people be signified the merchants of cloth, linen, woollen, and of all other merchandizes."

"The fifth Pawn, that is set before the Queen signifieth the physician, spicer, and apothecary, and is formed in the figure of a man; and he is set in the chair as a a master, and holdeth in his right hand a book; and an ample, or a box with ointment in his left hand; and at his girdle his instruments of iron and of silver, for to make incisions, and to search wounds and hurts, and to cut apostumes."

"The sixth Pawn, which standeth before the Alphyn on the left side, is made in this form; for it is a man that hath the right hand stretched out as to call men, and holdeth in his left hand a loaf of bread,

and a cup of wine; and on his girdle hanging a bundie of keys; and thus resembleth the taverners, hostlers, and sellers of victual."

The seventh Pawn. "The guards and keepers of cities be signified by the seventh Pawn, which standeth on the left side before the knight, and is formed in the semblance of a man holding in his right hand great keys, and in his left a pot and an ell for to measure with, and ought to have on his girdle a purse open."

The eighth Pawn. "The ribalds, players at dice, and the messengers and Couriers ought to be set before the rook, for it appertaineth to the rook, which is the vicar of the King, to have men convenable (convenient) for to run here and there to enquire and espy the places and cities that might be contrary to the king. And this Pawn that representeth this people ought to be formed in this manner: he must have the form of a man that hath long heeris (hairs), and black, and holdeth in his right hand a little money, and in his left hand three dice, and about him a a cord instead of a girdle, and ought to have a box full of letters."

The following are a few additional anecdotes and remarks:

Dr. Robertson relates in his History of Charles V. that John Frederic, elector of Saxony, having been taken prisoner by Charles, was condemned to death. The decree was intimated to him while at chess with Ernest of Brunswic, his fellow prisoner. But, a short pause, and making some reflection on the irregularity and injustice of the emperor's proceedings, he turned to his antagonist, whom he challenged to finish the game. He played with his usual ingenuity and attention; and, having beat Ernest, expressed all the satisfaction which is commonly felt on -gaining such victories. He was not, however, put to death, but set at liberty after five years' confinement.

In the chronicle of the Moorish kings of Graneda we find it related, that, in 1396, Mehemed Balba seized upon the crown, in prejudice of his elder brother, and passed his life in one continual round of disasters. His wars with Castile were invariably unsuccessful; and his death was occasioned by a poisoned vest. Find ing his case desperate, he despatched an officer to the fort of Salabreno, to put his brother Juzof to death, lest that prince's adherents should form any obstacle to his son's succession. The alcayde found the

prince playing at chess, with an alfagui or priest. Juzof begged hard for two hours' respite, which was denied him; at last, with great reluctance, the officer permitted him to finish the game, but before it was finished a messenger arrived with the news of the death of Mehemed, and the unanimous election of Juzof to the crown

We have a curious anecdote of Ferrand, Count of Flanders, who having been accustomed to amuse himself at chess with his wife, and being constantly beaten by her, a mutual hatred took place; which came to such a height, that, when the count was taken prisoner at the battle of Borrnés, she suffered him to remain a long time in prison, though she could easily have procured his release.

The chess-board of Tamerlane was a parallelogram, having eleven squares one way and twelve the other.

Subjoined is an "Erplanation of the position, powers, and moves of the pieces on the Chinese Chess-board, or, Ching Ke, (Royal Game.)

"As there are nine pieces, instead of eight, to occupy the rear rank, they stand on the lines between and not within the squares. The game is consequently played on the lines.

"The King, or Chong, stands in the middle line of the row. His moves resemble those of our King, but are confined to the fortress marked out for him.

"The two princes, or fou, stand on each side of him, and have equal power and limits.

"The mandarins, or tchong, answer to our bishops, and have the same moves, except that they cannot cross the water, or white space in the middle of the board, to annoy the enemy, but stand on the defensive.

"The Knights, or rather-horses, called màà, stand and move like ours in every respect.

"The war-chariots, or tchè, resemble our rooks or castles.

"The rocket-boys, or pao, are pieces whose motions and powers are unknown to us. They act with the direction of a rocket, and can take none of their adversary's men that have not a piece or pawn intervening. To defend your men from this attack it is necessary to open the line between either to, take off the check on the King, or to save a man from being captured by the pao. Their operation is, otherwise, like that of a rook. Their stations are marked between the pieces and pawns,

[From the same correspondent.] MR. HONE,

Since my last I have gathered some farther particulars respecting chess, part of which I met with in a tour through the Gentleman's Magazine.

And first, with respect its origin, I find quoted from the "Opus Arithmeticum," of Dr. Wallis, that "One Sessa, an Indian, having first found out the game of chess and showed it to his prince Shehram, the king, who was highly pleased with it, bid him ask what he would for the reward of his invention; whereupon he asked that, for the first little square of the chess-board, he might have one grain of wheat given him; for the second two, and so on, doubling continually according to the number of squares in the chess-board which was sixty-four. And when the king, who intended to give a noble reward, was much displeased that he had asked so trifling a one, Sessa declared that he would be contented with this small one. So this reward he had fixed upon was ordered to be given him, but the king was quickly astonished, when he found that this would rise to so vast a quantity, that the whole earth itself could not furnish so much wheat."

Concerning chess-men it is stated that "The third piece of chess, which we call a bishop, the French fool, the Spaniards alferez, and the Italians alfiere sergeand, in the east was the figure of an elephant, whose name (fit) it bore. The fifth piece, which we call a rook, and the French tom, is called by the eastern people the rokh, and the Indians make it of the figure of a camel, mounted by a horseman with a bow and arrow in his hand. The name of rokh, which is common both to the Persians and Indians, signifies in the language of the last a sort of camel used in war, and placed upon the wings of their armies by way of light horse. The rapid

motion of this piece, which jumps from one end of the board to the other, agrees with this idea of it; it was at first the only piece that had motion."

According to Leland's "Collectanea" it appears, that "Fulco (Fitzwaren) primus, had syx sunnes, Fulco, William, Garine, Philip, John, and Alane; John, sun to king Henry, and Fulco fell at variance at chestes, and John brake Fulco hed with the chest borde; and then Fulco gave him such a blow that had almost killed him." John seems never to have forgiven this blow, as he deprived Fulco of the tittle of Witington, gave him the government of the Marches, and endeavoured to have him killed, or to get him into his power, but at last pardoned and employed him in Zealand, where he did noble feats.

Again-"There is a story of two persons of distinction, the one lived at Madrid, the other at Rome, who played a game of chess at that distance. They began when young, and though they both lived to a very old age, yet the game was not finished. One of them dying, appointed his executor to go on with the game. Their method was, each don kept a chess board, with the pieces ranged in exact order, in their respective closets at Madrid and Rome : having agreed who should move first, the don informs his play-fellow at Rome, by letter, that he has moved his king's pawn two moves, the courier speedily returns, and advises his antagonist that the minute after he had the honor to receive this, he likewise moved his king's pawn two paces, and so they went on."

In my former letter I ventured an opinion respecting the origin of chequers at the doors of public houses. In the Gents. Magazine, Ixiii. 531, a correspondent states that "the earl of Arundel, in the reign of Phillip and Mary, had a grant to licence public houses, and part of the armorial bearings of that noble family was a chequered board, wherefore the publican, to show that he had a licence, put out that mark as part of his sign." In vol. lxiv. 737, another contributor writes, "I think it was the great earl of Warrenne, if not, some descendant or heir near him, not beyond the time of Rufus, had an exclusive power of granting licences to sell beer. That the agent might collect a tax more readily, the door posts were painted in chequers, the arms of Warren then, and to this day."