is so highly ingenious that there is none can parallel it I shall here lay down some brief instructions tending to the knowledg thereof The first and highest is a King the next in height is a Queen the cloven heads are Bishops they who have heads cut aslaunt like a feather in a Helmet are called Knights the last are called Rooks with a round button'd cap on his head and these signifie the Country and Peasantry the Pawns are all alike and each Nobleman hath one of them to wait upon him The Chess-men standing on the board you must place the White King in the fourth house being black from the corner of the field in the first and lower rank and the black King in the white house being the fourth on the other side in your adversaries first rank opposite to the white King then place the white Queen next to the white King in a white house which is the fourth on that side of the field likewise the black Queen in a black house next to a black King in the same rank Then place on the other side of the King in the same rank first a Bishop because he being a man of counsel is placed before the Knight who is a man of action or execution the Knight after the Bishop and after the Knight place the Rook who is the Peasant or Country-man in the last place or corner of the field place also on the Queens side and next to her a Bishop next a Knight and then a Rook the Pawns take up the last place one of which you must place before each Nobleman as Attendants so that these great or Nobleman fill up the first rank and the Pawns the second from one corner of the field to the other and as many great men and Pawns as belong to the King so many hath the Queen viz. three great men and four Pawns apiece that is one Bishop one Knight and one Rook with their Pawns Having thus placed and ordered your men you must in the next place consider their march how they advance and take guard and check The Pawns do commonly begin first the onset and their march is forward in their own file one house at once only and never backward for the Pawns alone never retreat the manner of his taking men is side-ways in the next house forward of the next file to him on either side where when he hath captivated his enemy and placed himself in his seat he proceeds and removes forward one house at once in that file until he find an opportunity to take again The Pawn guards a Piece of his side which stands in that place where if it were one of the contrary party he might take it In like manner the Pawn checks the King viz. as he takes not as he goes which Check if the adverse King cannot shun either by taking up the Pawn himself if the Pawn be unguarded or occasion his taking by some of his Pieces he must of necessity remove himself out of the Pawns Check or if it lie not in his power it is Pawn-Mate and so the Game is ended and lost by him whose King is so Mate The Rook goes backward and forward in any file and cross-ways to and fro in any rank as far as he will so that there stands no piece between him and the place he would go to Thus he doth guard his own and check the King also which check if the King can neither cover by the interposition of some piece of his between the checking Rook and himself nor take the Rook nor be the cause of his taking he must remove himself out of that check or it is Mate and the Game is up The Knight skips forward backward and on either side from the place he stands in to the next save one of a different colour with a sideling march or a sloap thus he kills his enemies guards his friends and checks the King of the adverse party which because like the Pawns check it cannot be covered the King must either remove or course the Knight to be taken for he himself cannot take the Knight that checks him or its Mate and the Game is up The Bishop walks always in the same colour of the field that he is first placed in forward and backward asloap every way as far as he lists provided that the way be clear between him and the place he intends to go to thus he rebukes the adversary guards his consorts and checks the adverse King which not being avoided as aforesaid is Mate to him and the Game is ended The Queens walk is more universal for she goes the draughts of all the aforenamed pieces the Knights only excepted for her march is not from one colour to the other asloap so far as she listeth finding the way obstructed by any piece and thus she disturbs her adversaries protects her subjects and mates the King unless as aforesaid he removes covers takes or causes her to be taken otherwise it is his Mate and the Game is concluded The Kings draught is from his own to the next to him any way that either is empty of his own subjects or where he may surprise any unguarded enemy or where he may stand free from the check of any of the adverse party Thus he confounds his foes defends his friends but checks not the King his enemy who never check one another for there must ever be one house or place at least between the two Kings though unpossest of any other piece and if one King be compel'd to flie for refuge to the King of the adverse party then it is Mate or a Stale and so he that gives the first wins the Game Let this suffice for the various draughts and several walks of the Chess-men but this is not all I shall give you some other instructions as brief as I may and refer the rest to your own observation Kings and Queens have seven a piece to attend them The King whether white or black guards five persons before he goes forth and being once advanced into the field though it be but into the second house he then and afterwards in his March guards eight houses till he come again to one side or other of the field The five the King guards before his March are the Queen the Bishop his own his Queens and his Bishops Pawn The Queen protects her King and Bishop her Kings her Bishops and her own Pawn Thus the Queen guards as many as the King before she goes forth and after till the Game be won or lost The Kings Bishop guards the Kings Pawn and his Knights the Queens Bishop guards the Queens Pawn and her Knights guard but three houses apiece before they go forth but after they are marched off from the side of the field they guard as many houses as the King and Queen do Those houses which the Knights guard ere they go out are the Kings The Knight guards the Kings Pawn and the third
house in the front of the Kings Bishops Pawn and the third house in the front of the Kings Rooks Pawn The Queens Knight guards her Pawn and the third house in the front of her Bishops Pawn also the third house in the front of her Rooks Pawn The Kings Rook guards his own Pawn and the Kings Knight and no more till he be off of the side of the field and then he guards four houses and the same does the Queens Rook. The Pawns likewise guard these places before they be advanced into the field viz. The Kings Pawn guards the third house before the Queen and the third before the Kings Bishop the Queens Pawn guards the third house before the King and the third before her Bishop The Kings Bishop's Pawn guards the third house before the King and the third before the Kings Knight The Queens Bishop's Pawn guards the third house before the Queen and the third before the Queens Knight The Kings Knights Pawn guards the third house before the Kings Bishop and the third before the Kings Rook. The Queens Knight's Pawn guards the third house before the Queens Bishop and the third before the Queens Rook. The Kings Rooks Pawns and the Queens Rooks Pawn guard but one house apiece that is to say the third houses before the Knight because they stand on the side of the field Next consider the value of the great men The King exposeth not himself to danger upon every occasion but the Queen is under him as General and doth more sevice than any two great men besides and when it happens that she is lost her King most certainly loseth the field unless the Adversary knows not how to make use of so great an advantage Wherefore if a King lose two or three of his best men in taking the opponents Queen yet he hath the best of it if he can but manage his Game rightly Next to the Queen in value is the Rook and is as much in worth above the Bishop and Knight as the Queen is above him so that a Rook is more worth than two Bishops or two Knights because he can give a Mate by the help of the King which no other piece can do unless plaid with excellent skill Bishops are accounted better than Knights because they can give a Mate with a King when no other men are left to help them with more ease than the Knights can for they seldom or never do it yet it is more dangerous to lose a Knight than a Bishop because the Knights check is more dangerous than the Bishops for the Bishop is tyed to one colour of the field out of which he cannot pass but the Knight passeth through all the houses of the field the Bishops check may be covered the Knights cannot besides if it fall out that one of the Kings hath no other men left but his Bishops and the other King none but his Knights the Knights with their checks can take the Bishops one after another because the Bishops cannot guard each other which the Knights can do so that at the beginning of the Game it is better to lose Bishops for the adversaries Knights than the contrary The difference of the worth of Pawns is not so great as that Noblemen because there is not such variety in thier walks only thus much the Kings Bishop's Pawn is the best in the field among the Pawns and therefore the Gamester ought to be very careful of him for if it should happen that the black King lose his Bishop's Pawn to gain the white Kings Pawn the black Kings loss is the greater because he cannot after this accident make a rank of Pawns of three of a rank on that side of the field for his own security which is a great disadvantage so that it is better for either of the Kings to lose his own Pawn than his Bishops But if you should object that the King which loseth his Bishops Pawn may relieve himself on the other side of the field turning to his Queens Rooks quarters where he shall have Pawns to succour him I answer 't is true he may do so but he will be a longer time in effecting his business because there are more pieces between him and his Queens Rooks by one draught than between his own Rook and himself so that in playing that draught he indangers the whole Game if his adversary know how to make use of advantages The Kings Pawn is next in worth which oftentimes keeps the King from check by discovery then the Queens Pawn is next and after that the Knights and last of all the Rooks Pawns because they guard but one house apiece in the field The King and the Pawn have certain priviledges granted them which none of the other Chess-men have as for instance The King whose remove as hath been already mentioned is from the place of his standing at any time to the next house in file or rank of any side that is one only step at once yet if at any time his rank be empty of his men so that no one stands between the King and the Rook of either corner the King may then shift or change with what Rook he pleaseth between whom and himself the way stands clear from other men and that for his better security provided that neither the King nor the Rook he intends to change with hath not as yet been removed from the place of their first standing now the manner of the Kings shifting or changing with a Rook is thus The rank cleared as aforesaid and neither King nor Rook having yet stirred he may go two draughts at once to his own Rook and so towards his Queens Rook causing the Rook he changeth with to change his place and come and stand by him on the other side that is his own Rook in the Bishops place and the Queens Rook in the Queens place and either of these changes but for one draught This is the Kings first prerogative The second is that whereas any man may be taken by any adversary if he be brought so near as to come within the compass the King cannot but he is only to be saluted by his adversary with the word check advising him thereby to look about him the more warily and provide for his own safety now if that adversary do this unguarded so near the King he may step thither by his true draught and the King may stay him with his own hand if he judge it convenient As for the Pawn the first priviledg he hath is that whereas his walk is but to the next house forward in his own file at once when he marcheth and to the next house side-long forward of the next file of either side when he takes I say his priviledg is that he may remove to the second house forward which is the fourth rank in his own file for his first draught and ever after but one forward at once The second priviledg is greater and that is when any
Pawn is come so far as to the first rank of the adversary and seats himself in any of his Noble houses he is dignified for this fact with the name and power of a Queen and so becomes chief of his own Kings forces if the first Queen were slain before and if the first Queen be yet standing in the field the Pawn coming to the rank aforesaid in any house whatsoever may there make what piece you please which you have already lost Some are of opinion that Chess as well as Draughts may be plaid by a certain Rule indeed I am partly inclined to believe it notwithstanding that most are of a contrary opinion The first remove is an advantage and therefore you must draw for who shall have the first draught which may be done with a black and white man distributed in to either hand and offer'd the Opponent which he will chuse if he chuse his own man the first draught is his but when a Game is ended and a Mate given he is to have the first Draught next Game who gave the former Mate The first remove is divers according to the judgment of the Gamester as some will first remove their Kings Knights Pawn one single remove that is to the third House in his own file others play the Kings Rooks Pawn first a double draught but the best way is to play the Kings Pawn first a double remove that so if they are not prevented by their adversaries playing the like they may still move that Pawn forward with good guard for he will prove very injurious to the adverse King This Pawn I shall advise you to remove first but not so venturously as a double remove because if you cannot guard him cunningly then are you like to lose him with a check to your King by the Queens coming forth upon him to the great hazard of your Kings Rook therefore play your Kings Rook one single remove that there may be way made for the coming forth of Queen one way two houses asloap and to your Kings Bishop the other way three houses asloap and so upon the neglect of your adversary he may be put to a Scholars check at least in danger of it here note it is ill to play the Bishops Pawn first and worse to play the Queens He that would be an Artist in this noble Game must be so careful to second his pieces that if any man advanced be taken the enemy may be likewise taken by that piece that guards or seconds it so shall he not clearly lose any man which should it fall out contrarily might lose the Game he must also make his passages free for retreat as occasion shall serve lest he be worsted In defending you must also be very careful that you are as able to assault as your enemy for you must not only answer your adversaries assault by foreseeing his design by his play and preventing it but you must likewise devise plots how to pester and grieve your assailant and chiefly how to entrap such pieces as are advanced by him preventing their retreat amongst which a Pawn is the soonest ensnared because he cannot go back for succour or relief but Bishops and Rooks are harder to be surprized because they can march from one side of the field to the other to avoid the ensuing danger but the Knights and Queens of all are most difficulty betray'd because they have so many places of refuge and the Queen more especially where note as a gret piece of policie that if possible you constantly have as many guards upon any one piece of yours as you see your enemy hath when he advanceth to take it and be sure withall that your guards be of less value than the pieces he encountreth you with for then if he fall to taking you will reap advantage thereby but if you see you cannot guard yours but must of necessity lose it then be very circumspect and see whether you can take a far better piece of his in case he takes yours by advancing some other piece of yours in guard for so as it often falls out that yours which you had given over for lost may be saved whereas no other way could have done it When an adverse piece comes in your way so that by it all may be taken consider with your self first whether it be equal in worth to yours next whether it can do you any damage in the next Draught if not let it alone for as it is best to play first so it is to take last unless as was said you might take the piece clear or get a better than that you lose to take it or at least disorder him one Pawn in his taking your man that took his but when you have the advantage be it but of one good piece for a worse or of a Pawn clear then it is your best way to take man for man as often as you can besides you are to note that whatsoever piece your adversary plays most or best withall be sure if it lie in your power to deprive him thereof though it be done with loss of the like or of one somewhat better as a Bishop for a Knight for by this means you may frustrate your adversaries design and become as cunning as himself Now the chief aim at Chess is to give the Mate which is when you so check the King of the adverse party that he can neither take the checking piece because it is guarded nor cover the check nor yet remove out of it Your care ought to be in the interim how to deprive him of some of his best pieces as his Queen or Rook and the way to entrap a Queen is two-fold First by confining her to her King so that she may not remove from him for leaving him in check of an adverse piece Secondly by bringing her to or espying her in such a place as a Knight of yours may check her King and the next draught take her In the same manner you may serve a Bishop if the adverse Queen covers her slope-wise but if she stand not in such a posture she may be brought to it entice her thither with some unguarded man which she out of eagerness of taking for nothing may indiscreetly bring her self into trouble But if you intend to cath the Queen with a Knight imagine that the adverse King stands in his own place unremoved and that the Queen hath brought her self to stand in that place where the Kings Rooks Pawn stood first she standing in this posture bring if you can one of your Knights to check her King in the third house before his own Bishop and if there be no man ready to take up your Knight immediately he will take up the Queen at the next draught The Rooks are also to be surprized two ways first by playing your Bishop into your Knights Pawns first place of standing which Bishop shall march aslope towards the adverse Rook of the opposite corner which if
you can make uncovered of the Knights Pawn your Bishop will then undoubtedly take clear for nothing the other way is like that of surprizing the Queen with a Bishop or a Knight where you must take notice â—â—at your adversaries Queens Rook is so much the easier to be taken with your Queens Knight that that Knight at his third draught may check the King and take the same Rook at his fourth draught There are several other ways to take a Rook which practice must inform you There is an ingenious way of taking a great man for a Pawn when you espy two great men of your adversaries standing in one and the same rank and but one house between them then prepare a Guard if you have it not ready to your hand for a Pawn which bring up to the rank next to them in the middle or front of both of them and without doubt if he save the one your Pawn will take the other this way of taking is called a Fork or Dilemma The neatest and most prejudicial trick you can put upon your adversary at Chess is a Check by discovery which may be thus effected observe when you find your adversaries King any way weakly guarded or perhaps not all that is easie to be checked then before you bring that piece that can check him there to provide some other man in that course that checks him not afterwards bring that piece of yours which will check him your brought-piece being away and then with all possible speed remove away for that former piece where it may most annoy him saying withall Check by discovery of your last brought a piece which he being compelled to cover or remove you may do him a greater prejudice with that piece you removed from between the check at the next draught thus demonstrated Suppose you play with the White-men he removes first his Kings Pawn a double draught forward you answer him with the like play he then plays out his Kings Knight in front of his Kings Bishop's Pawn you do the like with yours that Knight of his takes your Kings Pawn and your Knight takes his likewise he advances the Queens Pawn and removes to chase away or to take your Knight you play up your white Queen one remove before your King to frighten his Knight also he thinks it better to save his Knight from your Queen than take yours with his Queens Paâ—n and therefore conveys him away into a more secure place you play your Kings Knight in front of his Queens Bishop's Pawn and there withall say Check by discovery of your Queen now let him cover this check by Discovery as well as he can your Knight at the next draught will assuredly take his Queen There are several other ways to make a discovery and a Mate given with it which is the noblest Mate of all A Queen if lost indangers mâ—ch the Game but if there be Pawns left on either side there is possibility of making a new Queen and so by consequence the renovation of the Game which ten to one was lost before There are several ways to Mate this Queen and estate her in as great power as the former for brevity sake two Pawns in files next one to the other and plaid first one forward and the other backward close together is a good way to make a new Queen especially if any one of them be guarded underneath with a Rook for so they will force their way before them nor can any of them be taken without great difficulty and danger As to short Mates take these observations having both placed your men and yours the first draught suppose you advance your Kings Pawn forward one single remove your adversary plays his Kings Pawn forward a double remove in his own file you at your second draught come out with your Queen upon that Pawn placing her in the house forward of your Kings Rooks file your enemy to guard his Kings Pawn plays forth his Queens Knight into the third House of the Queens Bishops file you hoping that he will not spy the attempt bring out for your third draught your Kings Bishop which you place in the fourth house of your Queens Bishops file he not perceiving your intention judging all secure makes for your Queen with his Kings Knight playing it in the front of his Kings Bishops Pawn either to chase her away or take her you immediately upon this take up that Bishops Pawn with your Queen and for your fourth draught give him a Mate which is called a Scholars Mate because any but young beginners may prevent it You may also give a Mate at two draughts if you encounter with a raw Gamester playing after this manner first remove his Kings Bishops Pawn a single draught which is ill play at first you your Kings Pawn a single remove he his Kings Knights Pawn advanced a double remove for his second draught you bringing out your Queen into the fifth house of your Kings Rooks file give him a Mate at your second draught There is another called a Blind-Mate and that is when your Adversary gives you a check that you cannot avoid by any means and is indeed a Mate absolute but he not seeing it to be a Mate says only to you check and it is therefore called a Blind-Mate this should be both loss of Game and stake if you before agree not to the contrary A Stale may be termed a Mate and no Mate an end of the Play but no end of the Game because it properly should be ended with a Check-Mate The Stale is thus when his King hath the worst of the Game and brought to such a strait that he hath but one place to flie unto and the pursuing King is so unadvised as to bar him of that place or stop it without checking him the distressed King being no way able to remove but in Check and having no other piece of his own that he can play then it is a Stale and a lost Game to him that gives it Therefore he that follows the flying King gives him check as long as he hath any place to fly to but when he hath none left to avoid his check let him then say check-Mate and both Game and Stake are won Lastly there is another term used in Chess-playing and that is called a Dead-Game which makes if I may say improperly an endless end of the Game both Gamesters saving their Stakes and thus it is when the Assailant falls to take all that comes near carelesly giving man for man so that it happens that either King hath but one man apiece left him the Assailant following his eager pursuit takes his Adversaries man not minding that his King can take his also so that the Kings losing all their men and they being so unable to come so near as to grapple the Game is ended but the Stakes on both sides are saved I shall conclude this Game with the Laws of Chess which are these following 1.
that twice hath past shall touch the King The other not past at all shall two ends win 8. If both the balls over the Table flie The striker of them loseth one thereby And if but one upon the board attend The striker still the loser of the end 9. One foot upon the ground must still be set Or one end 's lost if you do that forget And if you twice shall touch a ball e're He Hath struck between an end for him is free 10. If any Stander by shall chance to bet And will instruct he then must pay the set 11. The Port or King being set who moves the same With hand or stick shall lose that end or Game 12. He that can touch being past or strike the other Into the Hazard is allowed another 13. If any Stander by shall stop a ball The Game being lost thereby he pays for all 14. If any past be stricken back again His pass before shall be accounted vain 15. He that breaks any thing with violence King Port or Stick is to make good th' offence 16. If any not the Game doth fully know May ask another whether it be so Remember also when the Game you win To set it up for fear of wrangling 17. He that doth make his ball the King light hit And holes th' other scores two ends for it There are several other Orders which only concern the house which I omit as impertinent to the Rules of playing at Billiards Since Recreation is a thing lawful in it self if not abused I cannot but commend this as the most gentile and innocent of any I know if rightly used there being none of those cheats to be plaid at this as at several other Games I shall hereafter mention There is nothing here to be used but pure art and therefore I shall only caution you to go to play that you suffer not your self to be over-matcht and do not when you meet with a better Gamester than your self condemn the Table and do not swear as one did playing at Nine-Pins this L. N. hath put false Pins upon me To conclude I believe this Pastime is not so much used of late as formerly by reason of those spunging Caterpillars which swarm where any Billiard-Tables are set up who making that single room their Shop Kitching and Bed-chamber their Shop for this is the place where they wait for ignorant Cullies to be their Customers their Kitching for from hence comes the Major part of their provision drinking and smoaking being their common sustenance and when they can perswade no more persons to play at the Table they make it their dormitory and sleep under it the Floor is their Feather-bed the legs of the Table their Bed-posts and the Table the Tester they dream of nothing but Hazards being never out of them of passing and repassing which may be fitly applied to their lewd lives which makes them continually pass from one prison to another till their lives are ended and there is an end of the Game Chap. III. Of TRVCKS Trucks is an Italian Game and is much used in Spain and Ireland it is not very unlike Billiards but more boisterous and in my opinion less gentile It is a pastime less noted in England wherefore the Tables are rarely met withal one I have seen at Tower-hill but so bunglingly composed and so irregularly formâ—d and fram'd that it was fit for none to play at but such who never saw or plaid at any other than that A right Truck-table ought to be somewhat larger than a Billiard-table being at least three foot longer than it is broad and covered with Green Cloth but it need not be every whit so fine as the former It hath three holes at each end besides the corner holes the middle-most at one end stands directly against the Sprigg which stands for the King at Billiards and the other end middle-most hole stands exactly against the Argolio which is in the nature of a Port at Billiards Of each side there are ten holes none of these have nets to receive the Balls and therefore it is a sport more troublesome than Billiards The Argolio stands as the Port at Billiards as aforesaid and is made of a strong hoop of Iron fastned to the Table that it cannot stirr having a wider passage than a Port and in its bending is higher from the Board The Sprigg is another piece of Iron about the thickness of a Man's little finger and is taller than the Billiard King and driven into the Board so that it is immovable The Tacks with which they play are much bigger than Billiard Sticks and are headed at each end with Iron the small end is round from the middle or farther running taperwise but the great end is flat beneath though rounding a top good Gamesters play for the most part with the small end The Balls are made of Ivory and are in bigness like Tennis-balls and require much art in their rounding for otherwise they will never run true You may lead as you do at Billiards but that is lookt upon as bungling play the best Artist at this Game usually bank at the fourth Cushon from the end where the Argolio stands and is commonly markt for distinction whith a little chalk The Game because it is sooner up than Billiards is Nine and sometimes Fifteen or indeed as many or as few as you please He that leads must have a care he hit not the end for that is a loss but he may bank if he please if the Leader lie in pass the Follower must hit him away if he can for if he pass it is ten to one but he wins the end because he may boldly strike at the Sprigg If the Leader lies not in pass he may either strike at him or lye as well to pass as the former and then all the strife lyeth in trucking one another or striving who shall pass first In passing here is this subtlety to be observed if your Adversary's Ball lie strait before the Argolio and yours lies a little behind it and it is your stroke you would think it impossible to pass by reason of that obstruction whereas it is easily done thus take the small end of your Tack and set it sloaping behind your Ball but touch it not for if you do you lose the end then bend your fist and give your Stick a smart cuff and it will raise you Ball over your Adversary's through the Port with much facility this is called by Artists falkating all that the follower can do to save the end is lying as he doth just against the Sprigg to pass and touch the Sprigg at one stroke and that is two if he touch not the end is the others if in striking the Sprigg too hard he run not out of one hole or other and then he loseth For the advantage of striking you may lay one hand on the Table arm c. without forfeiture but you must not touch your Ball with your