“As you appear to have taken some trouble to ascertain the origin of this game, you can perhaps inform me at what period it was introduced into England.”
The major replied, that the learned Hyde supposed it to have been first known in our country about the time of the Conquest; but that Mr. Barrington believed it to have been introduced during the thirteenth century, upon the return of Edward I. from the Holy Land, where he continued so long, and was attended by so many English.
“It is certain that our ancestors played much at chess before the general introduction of cards,” observed the vicar, “as no fewer than twenty-six English families have emblazoned chess-boards and chess-rooks in their arms, and it must therefore have been considered a valuable accomplishment.”
“Cards,” observed the major, “must have been known in England previous to the time of Edward IV.; since a statute was passed in that reign against their importation; but they did not become general for many years, and the progress of the custom appears to have been extremely slow.”
“Check,--and mate!” exclaimed Mr. Seymour.
“Upon my word, I have lost the game. Mr. Twaddleton, I lay this to your account,” said the major; “you ought not, sir, to have intruded your antiquarian discussions at such a time.”
“You have lost the game, major, because, like Charles XII. of Sweden,[[73]] you are too fond of advancing your king; but it is quite natural that you should feel mortified by your defeat: a person never likes to be beat at chess, because it is a trial of skill and address; chance has no place, and no one, therefore, loses except in consequence of the superiority of adversary. You may remember that William the Conqueror, upon being check-mated by the Prince of France, knocked the chess-board about his pate, an event which became the source of much future enmity. I must say,” continued the vicar, “that this, in my view of the matter, is an imperfection in the game; for, if it be the type or representative of a military campaign, fortune should have some share in deciding the fate of the day; and, if I remember correctly, Sir William Jones has stated that the use of dice, to regulate the moves, was formerly introduced in the East.”
“I will give the major his revenge whenever he pleases,” said Mr. Seymour; “but as I well know how dearly the vicar loves an antiquarian anecdote, if he will listen I will furnish him with one that will be probably new to him. Do you observe the form of the chess-board, resembling, as you perceive, two folio volumes?” said Mr. Seymour. “The origin of it was this: Endes, bishop of Sully, forbade his clergy to play at chess. As they were resolved, however, not to obey the command, and yet did not dare to have a chess-board seen in their houses or cloisters, they had them bound and lettered as books, and called them their wooden gospels. These same monks had also drinking vessels bound to resemble the breviary, and were found drinking when it was supposed they were at prayers.”
[70]. Many reasons have been assigned for this custom; the more commonly received opinion is, that it was intended as a token of the bridegroom having left off childish diversions, and entered on a more serious state of life; whence nucibus relictis, has passed into a proverb. This conjecture is favoured by Catullus:--