Secondly. The queen I will maintain to have always been considered a lady, whatever her appellation might have been. In the Harleian MSS., where she is called "fers," she is also termed "reyne," and 66 regina." In the account of the Fanciful Dance, performed before queen Whims, which was neither more nor less than a large game with animate chessmen-(such as, we read in actual history, that John, duke of Austria, and a certain duke of Weimar, were wont to have played in a large hall, purposely chequered black and white, where their servants moved, a-la-chessmen, at their bidding), -Rabelais enumerates the performers, and calls them "a king, a queen, two archers," &c., and she is characterised, throughout, as acting the part of a lady. Chaucer, in his "Booke of the Duchesse," introduces the sorrowful John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, lamenting the death of Blanch, his consort, and makes him complain that he had played at chess with fortune, when "With her false draughts full diverse She stale on me and toke my fers." Which fers" evidently means his duchesse; for he continues, that "Through that draught I have lorne My blisse alas, that I was borne❞— And now his only wish is to die. I hope it will be acknowledged tha there is some foundation for my conjec Leap 1. From 4 to 21 to 6 to 16 to 31 to 48 to 63 to 53 to 59 to 49 to 43 to 28 to 38 to 55 to 61 to 44 to 34 to 17 to 2 to 12 to 22 to 39 to 56 to 62 to 45 to 51 to 57 to 42 to 25 to 19 to 36 to 30 to 13 to 7 to 24 to 14 to 8 to 23 to 40 to 46 to 29 to 35 to 52 to 58 to 41 to 26 to 9 to 3 to 18 to 1 to 11 to 5 to 15 to 32 to 47 to 64 to 54 to 60 to 50 to 33 to 27 to 37 to 20 to 10 to 4. Leap 2. From 19 to 4 to 21 to 6 to 16 to 31 to 48 to 63 to 46 to 36 to 30 to 40 to 55 to 61 to 51 to 57 to 42 to 25 to 10 to 20 to 35 to 52 to 62 to 56 to 39 to 24 to 7 to 13 to 3 to 9 to 26 to 41 to 58 to 43 to 28 to 45 to 60 to 50 to 33 to 18 to 1 to 11 to 5 to 15 to 32 to 22 to 12 to 2 to 17 to 27 to 37 to 47 to 64 to 54 to 44 to 34 to 49 to 59 to 53 to 38 to 23 to 8 to 14 to 29 to 19. Leap 3. From 1 to 11 to 17 to 2 to 19 to 9 to 3 to 13 to 7 to 22 to 16 to 6 to 12 to 27 to 21 to 4 to 10 to 25 to 42 to 57 to 51 to 61 to 55 to 40 to 23 to 8 to 14 16 24 to 39 to 56 to 62 to 52 to 58 to 41 to 26 to 20 to 5 to 15 to 32 to 38 to 48 to 63 to 53 to 59 to 49 to 43 to 28 to 34 to 44 to 29 to 35 to 45 to 30 to 36 to 46 to 31 to 37 to 47 to 64 to 54 to 60 to 50 to 33 to 18 to 1. Leap 4. From 9 to 3 to 20 to 5 to 22 to 16 to 6 to 12 to 2 to 17 to 11 to 1 to 18 to 33 to 27 to 37 to 31 to 46 to 63 to 48 to 54 to 64 to 47 to 53 to 59 to 49 to 34 to 28 to 38 to 32 to 15 to 21 to 4 to 10 to 25 to 35 to 29 to 39 to 56 to 62 to 45 to 55 to 61 to 44 to 50 to 60 to 43 to 58 to 52 to 42 to 57 to 51 to 41 to 26 to 36 to 30 to 40 to 23 to 8 to 14 to 24 to 7 to 13 to 19 to 9. Leap 5. From 25 to 10 to 4 to 14 to 8 to 23 to 29 to 19 to 2 to 17 to 27 to 21 to 31 to 16 to 6 to 12 to 18 to 1 to 11 to 28 to 22 to 32 to 15 to 5 to 20 to 26 to 9 to 3 to 13 to 7 to 24 to 30 to 40 to 55 to 61 to 51 to 57 to 42 to 36 to 46 to 63 to 48 to 38 to 44 to 34 to 49 to 59 to 53 to 47 to 64 to 54 to 37 to 43 to 33 to 50 to 60 to 45 to 39 to 56 to 62 to 52 to 58 to 41 to 35 to 25. The leaps may be commenced on any given square March 12, 1831. W. VARIOUS COMMUNICATIONS ON CHESS. CHESS ANECDOTES, &c. (For the Year Book.) This most ingenious and fascinating game is of very great antiquity, and, perhaps, there is no game that can boast so general a study and practice; for, though various games on cards may be inore commonly pursued in some parts of Europe, chess is not only an object of extensive attention in Europe, but played with incomparably more frequency in Asia. Al Amin, khalif of Bhagdat, was earnestly employed at this game when his capital residence was on the point of being taken by assault. Tamerlane the Great is recorded to have been engaged at chess during the decisive battle between him and Bajazet. King John of England insisted upon concluding his game before he gave an audience to the deputies from Roouen, coming to apprize him that their city was besieged. King James I.styled this game a philosophic folly. His son,Charles I, was at chess when told that the Scots had finally determined upon selling him to the English; and he did not seem any way discomposed, but coolly continued his game. Charles XII., of Sweden, when surrounded, in a. house of Bender, by the Turks, barricaded the premises, and then coolly set down to chess: this prince always used the king more than any other piece, and thereby lost every game; not perceiving that the king, although the most considerable of 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, inade their virgin a queen The bishop (formerly fil, an elephant), the knight (originally aswa, horse), the rooks (at first rat'haan, 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. this conquest Hung Cochu assumed the title of emperor, and Choupayuen slew himself. ה( 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. "Wherefore the play was fonden and maad. Ca. "The second traytye. "The forme of a kyng, his manners and estate. Ca. i "Of thyssue of the comyn peple, 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 iust 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, it 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." 1 iii iiii V i ii In France this game seems to have been known at an earlier period than in ii 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 ost 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. iii 1111 V iii "Of kepers of townes, receyuers of custom, and tollenars. Ca.. vii viii "Of messagers, currours, rybauldes, "Of the chesse-borde in genere, how It has been shown that this game was popular among the English, before the i introduction of cards; this may account |