moche as the kyng the quene that be conioyned to geder by mariage ben one thyng as one flesshe blood / therfore may the kyng meue on the lift side of his propre poynt also wel as he were sette in the place of the quene whiche is black / whan he goeth right in maner of the rook onely hit happen that the aduersary be not couerd in ony poynte in the second ligne / the kyng may not passe from his black poynt vnto the thyrd ligne / thus he fortiseth the nature of the rook on the right side and lift side vnto the place of the knyghtes / And for to goo right tofore in to the whyt poynt tofore the marchaunt· and the kyng also sortist the nature of the knyghtes whan he goeth on the right side in two maners for he may put hym in the voyde space tofore the phisicien / in the black space tofore the tauerner on the other side he goeth in to other two places in like wyse that is tofore the smyth / and the notarye / thus as in goyng out first in to four poyntes he sorteth the nature of knyghtes / And also the kyng sortyseth the nature of the olphyns at hys fyrst yssue in to two places and he may goo on boothe sydes vnto the whyte place voyde / that one tofore the smyth on that one side / and that other tofore the tauerner on that other side al these yssues hath the kyng out of his proper place of his owne vertu whan he begynneth to meue but whan he is ones meuyd fro his propre place he may not meue but in to one space or poynt and so from one to another / And than he fortiseth the nature of the comyn peple / And thus by good right he hath in hym self the nature of al / For al the virtue that is in the membris comyth of the heed / And al meuyng of the body The begynnyng and lyf cometh from the herte And al the dygnyte that the subgettis haue by execusion and continuel apparence of theyr meuyng and yssue· the kyng deteyneth hit and is attribued to hym the victorye of the knyghtes the prudence of the Iugesâ— the auctorate of the vycayrs or legates the contynence of the quene / the concorde and vnyte of the people / so ben alle thise thynges ascribed vnto the honour worshyp of the kyng / in his yssue whaÌ„ he meuyth first / the iij ligne tofore the peple he neuer excedyth for in the third nombre alle maner of states begynne to meue· For the teynary nombre conteyneth thre parties whyche make a perfect nombre / For a trynarye nombre hath j ij iij / whiche â—oymed to gider maketh vj / which is the first parfit nombre· and signefieth in this place / vj persones named that constitute the perfeccion of a royame· that is to wete the kyng the quene Iuges knyghtes vicairs or legates the comyn peple / therfore the kyng ought to begynne in his first meuyng of iij poyntes / that he shewe perfeccion of lyf as wel in hym self as in other / after the kyng begynneth to meue he may lede with hym the quene / after the maner of his issue The second chappitre of the fourth book of the quene how she yssueth out of her place capitulo terâ—io wHan the quene whiche is accompanyed vnto the kyng begynneth to meue from her proper place / she goeth in double manere / that is to wete as an alphyn whan she is black / she may goo on the right side come in to the poynt tofore the notarye / on the lift side in the black poynt and come tofore the gardes of the cyte and hit is to wete that she sortiseth in her self the nature in iij maners first on the right side tofore the alphyn secondly on the lift side where the knyght is· thirdly Indirectly vnto the black poynt tofore the phisicien And the reason why / is for as moche as she â—ath in his self by grace / the auctorite that the rookes haue by coÌ„myscion for she may gyue and graunte many thynges to her subgettis graciously / and thus also ought she to haue perfyt wysedom as the alphyns haue whiche ben Iuges / as hit is sayd aboue in the chappytre of the quene and she hath not the nature of knyghtes· and hit is not sittyng ne couenable thyng for a woman to goo to bataylle for the fragylite feblenes of her / and therfore holdeth she not the waye in her draught as the knyghtes doon whan she is meâ—yd ones out of her place she may not goo but fro one poynte to another and yet couertly whether hit be forwarde or bacward takyng or to be taken· and here may be axyd why the quene goeth to the bataylle wyth the kyng / cerceynly it is for the solace of hym / and ostencion of loue And also the peple desire to haue successyon of the kyng / and therfore the tartaris haue their wyues in to the felde with hem yet hit is not good that men haue theyr wyues wyth hem / but that they abyde in the cytees or wythin theyr owne termys For whan they been out of theyr cytees lymytes they ben not sure / but holden suspecte they shold be shamefast and holde al men suspect For dyna Iacobs doughter as longe as she was in the how 's of her brethern she kept her vyrgynyte / but assone as she wente for to see the straunge regyone / anone she was corupt defowled of the sone of sichem / Seneks sayth that the women that haue euyl vysages ben gladly not chaste / but theyr corage desyreth gladly the companye of men / and solinus sayth that no bestys femeles desire to be touched of their males whan they haue conceyuyd / exept woman whiche ought to be a beste resonable and in this caas she lefith her rayson / sidrâ—c witnessith the same therfore in the olde lawe· the faders had dyuerse wyues and ancellis to thends whan one was with childe they myght take another· they ought to haue the visage enclyned for teschewe the sight of the men that by the sight they be not meuyd with Incontyneyce dyffame of other / and ouyde sayth that there ben soÌ„me that how wel that they eschewe the dede· yet haue they grete ioye whan they be prayed / therfore ought the good women fle the curiositees places where they myght falle in blame noyse of the peple / The fourth chappytre of the fourth book of the issuyng of the alphyn capitulo quarto tHe manere and nature of the draught of the alphyn in suche that he that is black in his propre siege is sette on the right side of the kyng / and he that is whyt is sette on the lift side / and ben callyd and named black and whyt / but for no cause that they be so in substaunce
octouâ—an maad his sones to be taught and lerne to swymme / to sprynge and lepe / to Iuste / to playe wyth the axe and swerde / and al maner thyng that apperteyneth to a knyght / and his doughters he made him to lerne to sewe to spynne to labour as wel in wolle as in lynen cloth and al other werkis langyng to women / And whan his frendes demaunded wherfore he dyd so he answerd how wel that he was lord and Syre of alle the world· yet wyste he not what shold befalle of his children and whether they shold falle or come to pouerte or noo / and therfore yf they conne a good crafte they may alwey lyue honestly The quene ought to kepe her doughters in alle chastyte For we rede of many maydens that for theis virgynyte haue ben maad quenes / For Poule the historiagraph of the lombardes reherceth that ther was a duchesse named remonde whiche had thre sones ij doughters And hit happend that the kynge of hongrye caâ—tâ—uus assayled a castel where she and her chylddren were Inne / And on a day she behelde her enemyes / and amonge alle other she sawe the kyng that he was a wel faryng and a goodly man Anone she was esprysed and taken wyth his loue and that so sore that forth wyth she sent to hym that she wold delyuer ouer the castel to hym yf he wold take her to his wyf and wedde her / And he agreed therto and sware that he wold haue her to his wyf on that condicion whan than the kyng was in the castel / his peple took men and women and alle that they fonde / her soones fledde from her / of whome one was named Ermoaldus was yongest / and after was due of boneuentan sithen kyng of the lumbardis / and the two susters toke chykens and put hem vnder her armes next the flessh and bytwene her pappes / that of the hete and chauffyng the flesh of she chikyns stanke / and whan so was that they of longrye wold haue enforced and defowled â—nâ—ne they felte the stenche and fledde a wey and so lefte hem sayeng fy how these lomburdes stynke and so they kepte theyr virgyntyte Wherfore that one of hem afterward was quene of fraunce / and that other quene of almayn / and hit happend thenne that the kyng catunus toke acordyng to his promyse the duchesse / and lay wyth her one nyght for to saue his ooth on the morne he made her comune vnto al the hungres / And the thyrd day after he dyd doo put a staf of tree fro the nether porte of her thrugh her â—edy vnto her throte or mouthe / for by cause of the luste of her flessh she betrayed her cyte and sayd suche husbond suche wyf and this suffyseth of the quene The thyrd chappytre of the second traytye treteth of the Alphyns her offyces and maners capitulo tercio tHe alphyns ought to be maad and formed in manere of Iuges sittyng in a chayer wyth a book open tofore theyr eyen / and that is by cause that some causes ben crymynel / And some ben cyuyle as about possessions and other temporel thynges and trespaces / and therfore ought to be two Iuges in the royame / one in the black for the first cause / And that other in whyt as for the second Theyr offyce is for to counceylle the kyng And to make by his coÌ„masidementis good sawes to enforme alle the royame in good and vertuous maners / And to Iuge and gyue sentence wel and trewly after the aras is had and to counceyl wel and Iustely alle them that axe counceyl of hem / wyth out hauyng of ony eye opene to ony persone / And to estudye diligently in suche wyse and to ordeigne alle that / that ought to be kept be obseruyd be faste and stable / So that they be not founde corupt for yefte for fauour no forillgnage ne for enuye varriable And as touchyng the first poynt Seneque saith in the book of benefets that the pour diogenes was more strong than alixandre / For Alixandre coude not gyue so moche as diogenes wold refuse Marcus â—â—rsus a romayn of grete renomee saith thus that whan 〈◊〉 had besieged and assayled them of Samente / and beneuentane which herde that he was poure / they took a grete masse and wedge of gold sendyd hit to hym prayeng hym that he wold reseyue hit and leue his assault and siege / and whan they came with the present to hym they fond hym sittyng on the / erthe and ete his mete out of platers and dysshes of tree and of wode and did thâ—n her message / to whom he answerd and said that they shold goo home and saye to them that sente them that Marcus cursus loueth better to be lord and wynne richesses than richesse shold wynne hym For by batayle he shal not be ouercome and vaynquysshed / nor by gold ne siluer he shal not be corrupt ne corompid Oftentymes that thyng taketh an euyll ende that is vntrewe for gold and siluer and that a man is subget vnto money may not be lord therof / Helymond reherceth that demosâ—ene demauÌ„ded of aristodone how moche he had wonne for pletyng of a cause for hys client And he answer a mark of golde Demostenes answerd to hym agayn / that he had wonne as moche for to holde hys pees and speke not / thus the tunges of aduocates men of lawe ben periloâ—â— doÌ„megeable yet they must be had yf thou wolt wynne thy cause for with money and yefte thou shalt wynne oftentymes they selle as wel theyr scilence / as their vtteraunce valerius reherceth that the senatours of rome took counceil to geder of two persones that one was poure that other riche and couetous / whiche of hem bothe were most apte for to sende to gouerne and Iuge the contre of spayn / And sapyon of affrique said that none of hem bothe were good ne proffytable to be sent theder For that one hath no thyng And to that other may no thyng suffyse / And despysed in hys sayeng alle pouerte and auarice in a Iuge For a couetous man hath nede of an halpeny for he is seruaunt and bonde vnto money / and not lorde therof but pouerte of herte and of wylle ought to be gretely alowed in a Iuge / Therfore we rede that as longe as the Romaynes louyd pouerte they were lordys of alle the world For many there were that exposed al theyr goodes for the comyn welt and for that was most proffitable for the comynalte that they were so poure that whan they were dede they were buryed and brought to erthe wyth the comyn good / And theyr doughters were maryed by the coÌ„maundement of the senatours but sithen that they despised pouerte / begonne to gadre richesses haue made grete bataylles they haue vsed many synnes / and so the comyn wele perisshed /
a lyght doun and playe wyth the / and yf thou haue mo pâ—yâ—tes than I on thre dyse I promyse the thou shalt haue myn 〈◊〉 and thenne he was glad / and anone castâ— thre dyse / and on ocle dyse was a sise / whiche made xviij 〈◊〉 / and anone he took the horâ— by the bâ—ydâ— / as he that was scure that he had wonne / and sayd that the horâ—s was his â— and than saynt bernard sayd abyde my sone· for there be mo poyntes on the dyse than xviij and than he cast the dyse / in suche wyse that one of the iij dyse clefte a sondre in the myddes / and on that one parte was vj. and on that other side an aas / and ache of that other was a sise· And than saynt bernard sayd that he had worrie his sowle for as moche as he had cast on thre dyse vix poyntes and than whan this player sawe aperceyuyd thys myracle he gaf his sowle to saynt bernard and became a monke and finysshed his lyf in good werkys The currours and berars of lettres ought hastely and spedely doo her vyagâ— that is coÌ„maunded hem with out caryeng for theyr taryeng myght noye and greue them that sende hem forth· or ellis them to whom they be sent to And borne hem to right grete domage or vylonye / For whiche cause euery noble man ought wel to take hede to whom he delyuer his lettres and his maundementis and otherwhiles suche peple ben Ioghelers and dronklewe and goon out of their weye for to see abbayes and noble men for to haue avauntage· and hit happeth ofte tymes / that whan suche messagers or currours ben enpesshid by ony tarieng / that other currours here letters contrarye to hys and come tofore hym / of whiche thynges ofte tymes cometh many thynges discouenable of losse of frendes of castellys· and of â—â—andâ— and many other thynges as in the feet of marchaundyses / and otherwhile hit happeth that a prynce for the faulte of suche messangers leseth to haue victorye vpon his â—â—â—yes / and also there be soÌ„me that whan they come in a cite where they haue not ben to fore they ben more besy to visite the cyte and the noble men that dwelle therin than they ben to do theyr voyage whiche thyng they ought not to do / but yf they had special charge of them that sent hem forth so to doo / And also whan they be sent forth of ony lordes or marchauntes they ought to be wel ware· that they charge hem not wyth ouer moche mete on mornynges ne wyth to moche wyne on euenynges / wherby her sinewes vaynes myght be greuyd / that they must for faute of good rewle tarye but they ought to goo and come hastely for to reporte to their maysters answers as hit apertâ—yneth and chise suffysen of the thynges aboue sayd right hygh / and therfore made the philosopher the bordeur more hygh than the tablier and as the blessyd Saynt Iherome sayth vpon the prophesie of ysaye / that is to wete vpon a mounteyn of obscurete whiche wordes were sayd of babylone whiche standeth in caldee / no thyng of that babylone that stondeth in egypt· for it is so that babilone whiche stondeth in caldee was sette in a right grete playn And had so hygh walles that by the heyght of them was contynuel derknes enuyronned and obscurete that none erthly man myght beholde and see the ende of the highnes of the walle and therfore ysaye callyd hit the montaigne obscure / And saynt Iherome saith that the mesure of the heyght of this walle was thre thousand paas whiche extendeth vnto the lengthe of thre myle lombardes / hit is to wete that lombarde mylis and englissh myles ben of one lengthe / and in one of the corners of thys cyte was made a tour treangle as a shelde / wherof the heyght extended vnto the lengthe of vij thousand paas / which is seuen myle englissh / and thys toure was called the tour of babel the walles about the toure made a woman whos name was semyramis as sayth virgilius / As to the thyrd wherfore the comyn peple ben sette tofore the nobles in the felde of the batayl in one renge / first for as moche as they ben necessarye to al nobles / For the rook whiche stondeth on the right side and is vycayr of the kyng what may he doo yf the labourer were not sette tofore hym laboured to mynystre to hym suche temporel thynges as be necessarie for hym / And what may the knyght do yf he ne had tofore hym the sâ—nyth for to forge his armours· sadellys axys and syeres suche thynges as apâ—rteyneth to hym· And what is a knyght worth wythout hors and armes / certâ—ynly no thyng more than one of the peple or lasse peraâ—â—â—â—â—â— / and in what maner shold the nobles lyâ—â—e yf no man made cloth and bought and solde marchandyse And what shold kynges and quenes and the other lordes doo yf they had no physiciens ne surgyens / Than I say that the peple ben the glorye of the crowne and susteyne the lyf of the nobles And therfore thou that art a lord or a noble man or knyght / despyse not the comyn people for as moche as they ben sette tofore the in the â—saye The second cause is why the peple ben sette tofore the nobles and haue the table voyde tofore them to be cause 〈◊〉 begynne the bataylle / they ought to take hede and 〈◊〉 to do theyr offyces and theyr craftes / in suche weyse 〈◊〉 they suffre the noble men to gouerne the cytees and 〈◊〉 counceylle make ordenaunces of the peple of the bataylle how shold a labourer a plow man or a crafty man counceyl and make ordenaunce of suche thynges as he neuer lerned and wote ne knoweth the maâ—eâ— vâ—oâ— what thyng the counceyl ought to be taken / Certes the comyn peple ought not to entende to none other thyng but for to do their seruyce and the offyce whiche is couenable vnto heâ— / and hit apporteyneth not to hem to be of counceyls ne at the 〈◊〉 ocacions / ne to menace ne to threte no man / for ofte tymes by menaces and by force good counceyl i◠〈◊〉 troubled / and whore good counceyl faylleth there of to tymes the cytees ben betrayed and destrâ—â—â—d / And plato sayth that the comyn thynges and the cyteees siege of his royament / for whan be wyl meue hym he ought noâ— to passe at the first draught the nombre of iij pâ—yntes whan he begynneth thus to meue from his whyt poynt / he hath the nature of the rookes of the right side of the lift for to goo black or whyt also he may goo vnto the whyt poynt where the gardes of the cyte ben sette / in this poynt he hath the nature of a knyght / thise two maners of meuyng aperteyneth otherwhile to the quene / for as
of her propre colour / but for the colour of the places in whiche they ben sette / and alwey be they black or whyt whan they ben sette in theyr places· the alphyn on the right side goyng out of his place to the right syde ward cometh tofore the labourer / and hit is reason that the Iuge ought to deffende and kepe the labourers and possessyons whiche ben in his Iurisdyccion by al right and lawe / And also he may goo on the lift side to the voyde place tofore the phisicien / for like as the physiciens haue the charge to hele the Infirmytees of a man· In like wise haue the Iuges charge â—to appese all stryues contencions and reduse vnto vnyte and to punysshe and correcte causes crymynels the lift alphyn hath also two wayes fro his owne place one toward the right side vnto the black space voyde tofore the marchaunt· For the marchauntes nede ofte tymes counceyl and been in debate of questyons whiche must nedes be determyned by the Iuges and that other yssue is vnto the place tofore the rybauldes that is by cause that ofte tymes among them falle noysesâ— dyscencions thefte manslaughter / wherfore they ought to be punysshed by the Iuges / ye shal vnderstonde that the alphyn goeth alwey cornerwyse fro the thyrd poynt to the thyrd poynt / kepyng alwey his owne siege / for yf be be black / he goeth alwey blackâ— and yf he be whyt he goeth and hit is wel reson that whan the labourer and husbondman hath laboured the feldes the knyghtes ought to kepe them to the 〈◊〉 that they haue vitailles for them self theyr horses / The second yssue is that he may moue hym vnto the black spâ—ce tofore the notarye or draper / for he is bounden to deffende and kepe them that make hys vestementes couertours necessarye vnto hys body The thyrd yssue is that he may goo on the lift side in to the place tofore the marchaunt whiche is sette tofore the kyng the whiche is black· and the reson is for as moche as he ought and is holden to deffende the kyng as wel as his owne persone / whan he passyth the first draught· he may goo four weyes / and whan he is in the myddes of the tablier he may goo in to viij places sondry / to whiche he may venne / and in like wyse may the lift knyght goo whiche is black and goeth out of his place in to whyt / And in that maner goeth the knyght fightyng by his myght / gâ—oweth and multeplyeth in his poyntes / and ofte tymes by them the felde is wonne or lost / a knyghtes vertue and myght is not knowen but by his fightyng / And in his fightyng he doeth moche harme for as moche as his myght extendeth in to so many poyntes / they ben in many parellis in theyr fightyng and whan they escape they haue the honour of the game thus is hit of euery man the more vallyant / the more honoured / and he that mâ—keth hym self ofte tymes shyneth clerest ¶ The sixte chappytre of the fourth tractâ—se trâ—â—â—th of the yssue of the mostes and of her progressyon capitulo vj THe moeuyng yssue of the rookes whiche ben vyâ—cayrs of the kynge is suche / that the right rook is black the lift rook is whyt / and whan the chesse ben setes as wel the nobles as the comyn peple first in theyr propre places· the rookes by theyr propre vertu haue no waye to yssue but yf hit be maad to them by the nobles â—e comyn peple / For they been enclosid in theyr propre sieges And the reson why is suche that for as moche as they ben vycayrs lieuetenaunted or coÌ„myssyoners of the kyng theyr auctorite is of none effect tofore they yssue out / And that they haue begonne to euhaunce their offyce / for as longe as they be wythin the palays of the kyng so longe may they not vse ne execute theyr coÌ„myssyon· but anone as they yssue they may vse theyr auctorite / and ye shal vnderstonde that theyr auctorite is grete / For they represente the persons of the kyng / and therfore where the â—ablier is voyde they may renne alle the tablier· in lyke â—oysâ— as they goon thrugh the royame / and they may goo aâ— wel whyt as black as wel on the right side and lifte as foreward and backward / and as fer may they renne as they fynde the tablier voyde· whether hit be of his aduersaries as of his owen felawshyp and whan the rook is in the myddel of the tablier / he may goo whiche way he wyl in to four right lignes on euery syde and it is to wete that he may in no wyse goo cornerwyse / but alwey right forth geyng and comyng as afore is sayd wherfore al the subgettis of the kyng as wel good as euyl ought to knowe by theyr moeuyng that the auctorite of the vycayrs and coÌ„myssyoners ought to be veray trewe rightwys and Iuste / and ye shal vnderstande that they ben strange and vertuous in bataylle for the two wokes onely may vaynquysshe a kyng theyr aduersarye and take hym and take from hym his lyf and his royame / and this was doon whan Cirus kyng of perse and Darius kyng of medes slewe balthazar and took his royame from hym whiche was neuewe to enylmoradach vnder whom thys game was founden ¶ The vij chappytre of the fourth book of the yssue of the comyn peple capitulo septimo ONe yssue and one moeuyng apperteyneth vnto all the comyn peple / for they may goo fro the poynt they stande in at the first meuyng vnto the third poynt ryght forth tofore them / and whan they haue so doon they may afterward meue nomore but fro one poynt right forth in to another And they may neuer retorne â—â—â—ward and thus goyng forth fro poynt to poynt· they may gete by vertue and strengthâ— that thynge that the other nobles fynde by dygnyte / and yf the knyghtes and other nobles helpe hem that they come to the ferthest signe tofore them where theyr aduersaryes were sette they acquyre the dignyte that the quene hath graunted to her by grace / For yf ony of them may come to thys sayd signe yf he be whyt as labourer draper / phisicieâ— or kepar of the cite been they reteyne suche dignyte as the quene hath / for they haue goten hit / than retornyng agayn homeward / they may go â—â—ke as it is sayd in the chappitre of the quene / and yf ony of the pawnes that be black· as the smyth· the marchaunt / the tauerner / ribaulde may come without doÌ„mage in to the same vtterest signe / he shal gete by his vertu the dygnyte of the black quene / ye shal vnderstonde / whan thyse comune peple moue right forth in her signe / fynde ony noble persone or of the peple of their aduersaries sette in the poynt