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TO the right noble / right excellent & vertuous prince George duc of Clarence Erle of warwyk and of salisburye / grete chamberlayn of Englond & leutenant of Irelond oldest broder of kynge Edward by the grace of god kynge of England
and of fraue same enformed in good. vertuous. prouffitable and honeste maners. In whiche your noble persone wyth guydyng of your hows haboundeth / gyuyng light and ensample vnto all other / Therfore I haue put me in deuour to translate a li
AMonge all the euyll condicions and signes that may be in a man the first and ye grettest is whan he feereth not / ne dredeth to displese and make wroth god by synne / and the peple by lyuyng disordynatly / whan he rec
THys playe fonde a phylosopher of Thoryent whiche was named in Caldee Exerses or in greke philometor / whiche is as moche to saye in english as he that loueth Iustice and mesure / And this philosopher was renoe kynge / vpon thy counceyllours & them that ben cladd in thy clothynge & robes were more reson that this torment shold come / For as moche as they dar not saye to the
THe causes wherfore this playe was founden ben thre / the first was for to correcte and repreue the kynge For whan this kynge Eme philosopher / The philosopher answerd
and
sayd to hym that hit myght not be doon. But yf he first lerned the playe / The kynge said hit was reson and that he wold put hym to the payne to lerne hit Than the philosophre began to teche hym and to shewe hym the maner of the table of the chesse borde and the chesse meyne / And also the maners and condicions of a kynge of the nobles and of the comun peple and of theyr offices and how they shold be touchid
and drawen. And how he shold amende hym self & become vertuous And whan this kynge herde that he repreuyd hym / He
t thou haue other gouernement than thou hast had / And that thou haue vpon thy self first seygnorye and maistrye suche as thou hast vpon other by force and not by right Certaynly hit is not ryght that a man be mayster ouer other and comandour / whan he can not rewle ner may rewle hym self and that his vertues domyne aboue his vices / For seygnourye by force and wylle may not longe endure / Than thus may thou see oon of the causes why and wherfore I haue founden and
maad thys playe / whyche Is for to correcte and repente the of thy tyra
THe kynge must be thus maad For he must sitte in a chayer clothed in purpure / crowned on his heed in his ryght hand a ceptre and in the lyfte hande an apple of gold / For he is the most grettest and hyest in dignyte aboue alle other and most worthy. And that is signefyed by the corone / For the glorye of the peple is the dignite of the kynge / And aboue all other the kynge ought to be replenysshid with vertues and of grace / and thys signefieth the purpure For in lyke wyse as the robes of purpure maketh fayr & enbee sceptre in his right hand
And for as moche as mysericorde and trouthe cone see but for as moche as the euyll yt I doo is in oon galeye or tweyne therfore I am callyd a theef / but for as moche as thou de
good condicions of his fader.
e raenso
THus ought the Quene be maad / she ought to be a fair lady sittynge in a chayer and
crowned wyth a corone on her heed
and
cladd wyth a cloth of gold & a mantyll aboue furrid wyth ermynes And she shold sytte on the lyfte syde of the kinge for the amplections and enbrasynge of her husbonde / lyke as it is sayd in scripture in the canticles / her lyfte arme shall be vnder my heed
And her ryght arme shall be clyppe and enbrace me / In that she is sette on his lyfte syde is by grace gyuen to the kynge by nature and of ryght. For better is to haue a kynge by succession than by elece Iugee
counceyll hous amonge them with their faders exept papirus / whome they wold yt he shold alt first fond ye maner to fight on ye water / and
had first victorie / this duele had to his wif one of the best women & so chaste / that euery woman might take ensample of her / And at yt tyme the synne of the flesshe was the grettest synne yt ony might doo agaynst nature / And this sayd
good woman was named ylye / and so hit happend that this duele becam so olde that he stowped & quaqued for age And on a tymu speke ony worde thou shalt be dede / And for fere she held her pees / Than he began to praye and promise many thinges And after he menaced & thretenyd her that she shold enclyne to hym to do his wyll / And whan he sawe he coude ner might haue his entent he sayd to her yf thou do not my wyll / I shall slee the and oou colatyn that he hath dishonot he hath fowled & dishot hath doon this synne to me hit shall ben to his meschance yf ye doo your deuoir / And be cause
e
heed of a pour frende of heeris / whiche dissimyled his pouerte and wold not. ner durst not be a knowen of his pouerte For for shame she durst not gyue hit openly / but had leuer that he shold fynde hit / than that she had gyuen hit hym / wherfore otherwhile men shold gyue & helpe her frendes so secretly That they knowe not whens hit come / For whan we kepe hit secret and make no boost therof / our deedes and werkes shall plese god and them also / A Quene ought
t ther was a duchesse named remonde whiche had .iii. sones & two doughters And hit happend that the kynge of hongrye cantanus assaylled a castell where she & her children were I
THe Alphyns ought to be made and
formed in manere of Iuges syttynge in a chayer wyth a book open to fore their eyen / And that is be cause that some causes ben crymynell / And some ben cyuyle as aboute possessyons and other temporell 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 whyte as for the seconde / Theyr office is for to counceyll the kynge / And to make by his coman
t .ii. thinges ben cone balance so that thy Iugement be not enclyned by loue ne by yefte / ne fauour of persone torne not thy corage. Helemond reherceth that Cambyses kynge of perse whiche was a rightwys kynge had an vnrightwys Iuge / whiche for enuye and
euyll
will
had
dampned a man wrongfully and agaynst right / wherfore he dide hym to be flain all quyk / and made the chayer or siege of Iugement to be couerid wyth his skyn / And made his sone Iuge and to sitte in the chayer on the skyn of his fat the lawe shold be accot ther was a counceyllour of rome that had gyuen counceill to make a statute / that who some euer that entrid in to the senatoire / & a swerd gyrt aboute hym shold be ded / Than hit happend on a tyme that he cam from with out and
entrid in to the senae grete & riche men to take by force and strengthe lordshippis & seignouries vpon the smale & poure peple / And this doon they specially that ben gentill of lignage & poure of goodes And causeth them to robbe and reue And yet coe grete peple doo acordinge to ye lawe / and punysh the trat yf smythes the carpet vignours and other craftsmen saye that it is most necessarye to studye for the comyn prouffit And gloryfye them in their connyng and saye that they ben prouffitable Than shold the Iuges studie and contemplaire moche more than they in that / that shold be for the comyn wele / wherfore sayth seneke beleue me that they seme that they do no thynge they doo more than they that laboure For they doo spiryt was named mellyse whom he had taken more to haue her companye & felawship than for ony other thynge / Fedde hym to thende that he shold not dye for honger in his pensifnes / Dydymus sayd to Alixandrie we ben not deynseyns in the world but strau
THe knyght ought to be made alle armed vpon an hors in suche wyse that he haue an helme on his heed
and a spere in his ryght hande / and
couee good & vertuoꝰ disposicion yt is in hym / A noble knyght ought
t ther was a knyght whiche had to name malechete that was so wyse and trewe that whan the Emꝑour Theodosius was dede / he made mortall warre ayenst his broder germain whiche was named Gildo or Guye For as moche as this said guye wold be lorde of affricque with oute leue and
wyll of the senatours. And this sayd guye had slayn the two sones of his brot
had in his comt were comen to helpe guion sawe ye disconfiture they fledde away / and guion fledd also in to affricque by shipp / and whan he was ther arryued he was sone after stranglid / These .ii. knyghtes of whom I speke were two birdern germayns / whiche were sent to affricque for to defende the comyn weele / In likewise Iudas machabeꝰ Ionathas & symon his bredern put hem self in the mercy and garde of our lord
god And agayn the enemyes of the lawe of god with lityll peple in regard of the multitude that were agayn them / and
had also victorye / The knights ought to ben trewe to theyr princes / for he that is not trewe leseth ye name of a knight Vnto a prince trouth is the grettest precious stone whan it is medlid with Iustice / Paule the historiagraph of the lombardes reherceth that ther was a knight named enult he shold not escape Whiche supposid that hit had ben his squyer that he en
t thou art more myghty and puyssant in cheualrye & in dispensis than is Alexane hertes of them by yeftes / whiche afterward slewe Porus that was kynge of Iude / And they made Alexandre kynge therof Therfore remembre knyght alleway that wyth a closid
and shette purse shalt thou neuer haue victorye. Ouyde sayth that he that taketh yeftes / he is glad thert maketh a knyght so renomed as is whan he sauyth the lyf of them that he may slee / For to shede and spylle blood is the condicion of a wylde beste and not the condicion of a good knyght Therfore we rede that scylla that was Duc of the Roe peple in tyme of peas in lyke wise the peple ought to pourveye for theyr dispensis / how shold a plowman be sewre in the felde / but yf the knyghe peple shold obeye & serue the princes / And the prine noman shold bye ony thynge for money but they shold change ware for ware & one marchandyse for an other / The fourthe was that men shold sette nomore by money ner kepe hit more than they wold donge or fylthe / The fyfthe he or
THe rooks whiche ben vicaires and legats of the kynge ought to be made lyke a knyght vpon an hors and a mantell
and
hood
furryd with met were taken / and so to chaut wole defende them And not ayenst them yt can not saue their lyf whan their contre is taken / as thise lityll children / Thou hast vae knightes desired to serue suche a lord that louyd better theyr helth than his dignite / The rookes ought also to be humble & meke After the holy scripture whiche saith / the gretter or in the hier astate that thou arte / so moche more oughtest thou be meker & more humble Valerius reherceth in his .vii. book that ther was an emperour named publius cesar / That dide do bete doun his hows whiche was in the middis of ye market place for as moche as hit was heier than other houses / for as moche as he was more glorious in astate than other / Therfore wold he haue a lasse hous than other And scipion of affrique that was so poure of volut whan he was dede / he was buried at ye dispencis of ye comyn good / They shold be so humble yt they shold leue theyr offices / and suffre other to take hem whan her tyme comyth / & doo honour to other / for he gouerneth wele royame yt may gouerne hit whan he will Valeriꝰ saith
e fulle And therfore sayde he I leue the officiers in their offices. for they ben allu art angry / For whan thou art angry thou woldest doo alle thynges after thy playsir / And yf thou canst not vat we were so couetouse that we had ne had gretter enuye to be riche of name than of rychesses / And therfore sayth seneque that the kynge Altagone vsid gladly in his hows vessels of erthe / And some sayde he dyde hit for couetyse / But he sayde that
e
batayll of assise / But I faught for the. And than he shewed to hym the places of his woundes that he had
receyuyd in the batayll
And than cam cesar in his propre persone for to be his aduocate & to plete his cause for hym / he wold not haue the name of vnkyndenes / but doubted that men shold saye that he were proude And that he wold not do for them that had
seruyd hym They that can not do so moche / as for to be belouyd of her knightes / can not loue the knyghtes And this sufficeth of the rooks.
FOr as moche as the Noble persone canne not rewle ne gouerne with oute ye seruyce and werke of the peple / than hit behoueth to deuyse the oe erthe of hys e first martier in tholde testament / And this cayin dide many other euylt some shold labour the erthe afe synne of adam / for to fore er adam synned / the erthe brought forth fruyt with out labour of handes / but syn he synned hit muste nedes be labourid with ye handes of men And for as moche as the erthe is moder of alle thynges
e erthe ought to knowe his god that formed
and made heuen & erthe of nought And ought to haue loyaulte and trouth in hym self / and despise deth for to entende to his laboure And he ought to gyue thankyngis to hym that made hym And of whom he receyueth alle his goodes temporall / wherof his lyf is susteyned / And also he is bounden to paye the dismes and tythes of alle his thynges And not as Cayin dyde. But as Abell dyde of the beste that he chese out allway for to gyue to god & to plese hym / For they that grucche and be greuyd in that they rendre and gyue to god the tienthes of her goodes / they ought to be aferd
and haue drede that they shall falle in necessite And yt they might be dispoyllyd or robbed by warre or by tempeste that myght falle or happen in the contrey And hit is meruayll though hit so happen For that man that is disagreable vnto god
And weneth yt the multiplynge of his goodes temporell cometh by the vertu of his owne coue most grete & noble men next god heth in ye handes of the laboue labourer of the erthe vseth grete and boystous metes / and bryngeth to his maister more subtile & more deyntous metes / And valerius reherceth in his .vi. book that ther was a wise & noble maistre yt was named Anthomꝰ that was accused of a caas of aduoule yonge as the olde / and that the deth ought specially to be doubted for .iii. causes / one was / yt noman knoweth whan he cometh / and the seconde / ner in what state he taketh a man / And the thirde he wote neuer whither he shall goo.
e deluge and
flood For as Iosephus reherceth in ye book of naturell thinges Noe was he that fonde fyrst the vygne / And he fonde hym bitter and wylde / And therfore he toke .iiii. maners of blood / that is to wete the blood of a lyon. the blood of a lamb. the blood of a swyne. and the blood of an ape and
medlid them alto geder with the erthe / And than he cutte the vygne / And put this aboute the rootes therof. To thende that the bitternes shold be put away / and that hyt shold be swete / And whan he had dronken of the fruyt of this vygne / hit was so good
and mighty that he becam so dronke / that he dispoylled hym in suche wise yt his pryuy membres might be seen / And his yongest sone chammocqued
and
skorned hym And whan Noe was awakid & was sobre & fastinge / he assemblid his sones and
shewid to them the nature of the vygne and of the wyn / And
told to them the cause why yt he had put the blood of the bestes aboute the roote of the vygne and that they shold knowe well yt otherwhile by ye strength of the
THe seconde pawne yt standeth to fore the knyght on the right side of the kynge hath the forme and figure of a man as a smyth and that is reson For hit apperteyneth to ye knyghtes to haue bridellys sadellys spores and many other thynges made by the handes of smythes and ought to holde an hamer in his right hande. And in his lyfte hande a dolabre and he ought to haue on his gyrdell a trowell For by this is signefied
all maner
t they haue in hem self faith and loyaulte / For vnto the goldsmythes behoueth gold & siluer And alle other metallys / yren & steel to other / And vnto the carpenters and masons / ben put to theyr edifices the bodyes and goodes of the peple / And also men put in the handes of the maronners body and goodes of the peple / And in the garde and sewerte of them men put body & sowle in the paryls of the see and therfore ought they to be trewe / vnto whom men commytte suche grete charge and so grete thynges vpon her fayth and truste. And therfore sayth the philosopher / he that leseth his fayth and beleue / may lose no gretter ne more thynge. And fayth is a souerayn good
and cometh of the good
wyll of the herte and of his mynde And for no necessite wyll deceyue no man / And is not corrupt for no mede. Valerius reherceth that Fabius had
receyuyd of hanye money lente for hem They answerd that they wold not paye ner lene / And than fabius sente his sone to rome & made hym to selle his heritage & patrimonye / and sente the money that he resseye first fondement of Iustice is that no man shold noye ne greue other But that they ought doo the comyn prouffit / For men saye in reproche That I see of thyn / I hope hit shall be myn But who is he in thyse dayes that entendeth more to the comyn prouffit than to his owne / Certaynly none / But all way a man ought to haue drede and feere of his owne hows / whan he seeth his neyghbours hous a fyre And therfore ought men gladly helpe the comyn prouffit / for men otherwhile sette not be a lityll fyre And might quenche hit in the bet the troians kept this lawe And we rede that the multitude of the Troians was one herte and one sowle / And verayly we fynde that in tyme passid the philosophres dyde the same / And also hit is to be supposyd that suche as haue theyr goodes comune & not propre is most acceptable to god / For ellys wold not thise religious men as monkes freris chanons obsert the cyte is well
and Iustely gouernid
and
ordeyned in the whiche no man maye saye by right. by custome. ne by ordet cometh of dysordynance of the prouffit of another man And knowe thou verily that he that is full of bounte shall neuer haue enuye of an other / But thenuyous man seeth and thynketh alleway that euery man is more noble / And more fortunat that hymself And sayth alleway to hym self / that man wyn
THe thirde pawne whiche is sette to fore the Ale comon peple of whom we speke in thys book they plete the differencis contencions and causes otherwhile the whiche behoueth the Alphins to gyue sentence and Iuge as Iuges And hit is reson that the Alphin or Iuge haue his notarye / by whom ye processe may be wreton / And this pawne ought to be made and
figured in this mamere / he muste be made like a man that holdeth in his right hand a pair of sheres or forcetis / and in the lifte hand a grete knyf and on his gurdell a penuer
t apperteyneth to the comyn And yf they be good to them self / they ben good to other. And yf they be euyll for them self / they ben euyll for other And the processes that ben made to fore the Iuges ought to ben wreton & passid by them / and hit is to wete that by their writynge in the processis may come moche prouffit
e royame as well in the spirituell lawe as in the temporall / how torne they the lawe and statutes at their pleasir / how ete they the peple / how enpouere they the comynte / I suppose that in alle Cristendom ar not so many pletars attorneys and men of the lawe as ben in englond onely / for yf they were nombrid all that lange to the courtes of the chann
t ther is an amytie vertuous by the whiche a man ought to do to his frende alle that he requyreth by rayson For for to do to hym a thynge dishonneste it is ayenst the nature of verray frendshipe & amytie / And thus for frendshipe ne for fauour a man ought not to doo ony thinge vnresoe riche men ben alle louyd by this loue / for their frendes ben lyke as ye huske whiche is aboute the grayn / and no man may proue his frende so well as in aduersite / or whan he is poure / for the veray trewe frende faylleth at no nede / And seneque saith yt some folowe the emꝑour for riches / and so doon ye fe proude had a neuewe of his suster which was named brutus and this neuewe had
banysshid tarquyn out of rome and had sente hym in exyle / And than sayd he first that he parceyuyd & knewe his frendes whiche were trewe & vntrewe / and yt he neuer perceyuyd a fore tyme whan he was puyssant for to doo their wyll / and
sayd well that the loue that they had to hym / endured not but as longe as it was to them prouffit this was his good frende of Egipte And forthwyth stept in and sayde that he hym self was culpable of the deth of this man / and not that other / and
enforced hym in alle maners for to delyuer and excuse that other / And than whan that he that had don the feet and
had slayn the man sawe this thynge / he considerid in hym self that these two men were Innocente. of this feet / And doubtynge the dyuyn Iugement he cam to fore the Iuge and
confessid alle the feet by ordre / And whan the Iuge sawe and
herd alle this mater / and also the causes he considerid the ferme and trewe loue that was betwene the two frendes And vnderstode the cause why that one wold saue that other / and the trouth of the fayte of the homicide And than he pardoned alle the feet hoolly and entierly / and after the marchant of bandach
THe fourth pawn is sette to for the kynge And is formed in the fourme of a man holding in his ryght hand a balance / And the weyght in the lifte hand / And to fore hym a table And at his gurdell a purse fulle of monoye redy for to gyue to them that ree chan• / that is gyuen to them to kepe / And therfor hit is reson that this peple be sette to for ye kynge for as moche as they signefie the resscyuours of the tresours royall that ought allway to be redy to fore ye kynge and to answere for hym to the knightes and other persones for their wages & souldyes And therfor haue I sayd that they ought to flee auarice. For auarice is as moche to say as an adourer or as wort thing that is aboue necessite / & it is a
e chirche / the neighe bist she is thy lady For the richesse neuer satisfieth the couetouse / but the more he hath / the more he desireth / And saluste sayth that auarice distouru be poure beware how thou berowest / and thinke how thou maist paye & rendre agayn yf yu be ryche yu hast none nede to borowe & axe / & it is said in the prouerbes yt hit is fraude to take / that yu wilt not ner maist rendre & paye agayn / and also hit is said in reproche / whan I leue I am thy frend / & whan I axe I am thy enemye / as wo saith / god at the let gladly borowe / ought gladly to paye / and ought to surmonte in corage to loue hem the better be cause theyt he had in the world
And thus by dyuyne pourueance he that had be a theef fraudelent / was made afterward a trewe procurour and attorney of the sayd albert / But now in this dayes ther ben marchaut this thinge apperteyneth to resseyuours & to chaungeours And to alle true marchans and other what som euyr they bee / and ought to kepe their bookes of resaytes & of payements of whom & to whom and what tyme & day. and yf ye demande what thynge makyth them to forgete suche thynges as ben taken to them to kepe I answere & saye that hyt Is grete couetyse for to haue tho thynges to them self and neuer to departe from them / And hit is all
THe pawot she myghte corrumpe his chaste liuynge ne defoule the crowne of his conscience / and whan the yonge men knewe that she had ben with hym all the might And coude not chaunge his contynence / they began to mocque her / And to axe and demande of her the besant that they had gyuen to her. And she answerd That hit was holden a gaged vpon an ymage / For as moche as she might not change his contynence she callyd hym an ymage / And in semblable wyse reherceth Valerian of Scenocrates philosopher that ther laye with hym a woman all night And
tempt she deyde to fore hym / But this is not so grete meruaylle of wot they shold attempre them in that Ioye er they shold see hym / And also we rede that Titus the sone of vaspasian whan he had
conquerd Iherusalem and abode in ye contrees by he herde yt his fader vaspasian
e sight of Titus / and dide hit to be replenysshid plenteuously wyth alle dayntees / and
ordeyned men to be armed to kepe hym in suche wyse that no man shold hurte hym by the comandement of Titus / and
ordeyned boutellers. Coques / and other officers for to serue hym worshipfully lyke an Empour / and whan all this was redy / Iosephus brought in this man that tytus hated
and sette hym at the table to fore his eyen and was seruyd of yonge men wyth grete reuerence ryght cortoisly / And whan titus behelde his enemye sette to fore hym wyth so grete honour / He began to chauffe hym self by grete felonnye And
comanded his men that this man shold be slayn / And whan he sawe / that none wold obeye hym But that they allway
seruyd hym reuerently / he waxe so ardante / and
enbrasid wyth so grete yre / that he that had lost alle the force and strengthe of his body and was alle Impotent in alle his membres / Recoured the helthe agayn and strenghte of his membris / by the hete
THe sixthe pawn whiche standeth to fore the Alphyn on the lyfte syde is made in thys forme. For hit is a man that hath the right hande strace
gurdell
And thyse maner of peple ought teschewe the synne of glotonye / For moche peple comen in to theyr howses for to drynke and to ete for whyche cause they ought resonably to rewle them self and to refrayne them from to moche mete and drynke / to thende that they myght the more honestly delyuere thyngis nedefull vnto the pee thre thynges that I shall saye to the / thou shalt chese whether thou wylt be dronke / or ellys haue to do flessly wyth thy gossib or ellys thou shalt st whan the deuyll
wyll take one of the castellis of Ihesu cryst / that is to wete the body of a man or of a woman / he doth as a prynce that setteth a e mouth by glotonye or by other synne He may doo wyth the offices of the body alle his wylle as ye haue herd to fore / And therfore ought euery man ete and drynke so brely in suche wyse as he may lyue. And not lyue to ete glotonsly a for to drynke dronkee wyn or other drynke surpryse hym and ouercome his brayn. his wysedom is lofte / For as Cathon sayth / Ire enpese strengthe she blyndeth the syght / and maketh the wys hoos a rawe / Ha A ryght euyll
and fowle synne of dronkenship / by the perissheth virginite / whiche is suster of angellis possedynge alle goodnes and seurte of alle Ioyes pardurable / Noe was one tyme so chauffed with wyn / that he discouerd
and
shewid to his sones his preuy membres in suche wyse as one of his sones mocqued hym / And that other coe dyner ben full of glotonye and dronkenship / Balthazar kynge of babilone had not ben chaced out of his kynge angels in to his hous right debonairly whiche he had
supposid
had ben mortall men and straut a noble man was logged in an hostelerye wyth moche compaignye / And whan they had gyuen
e horses for to stele away their prouender / And whan he cam to the lore male of the yonge man
e oost as coe gibet / and the cause was brought to fore the Iuge And the hooste was accused of the tray
THe gardes and kepars of of cytees ben signefied by the .vii. pawn whiche stondeth in the lyfte side to fore the knyght / And is formed in the seme cytees or townes ben gouerned / whiche apperteyneth to be kept and
defended by the knyghtes. And first hit apperteyneth that the kepars of the cyte be dilygente. besy. clere seeynge and louers of the comyn prouffit & wele as well in the tyme of pees as in the tyme of warre / They ought alleway to goo in the cyte and
e ryght side was wreton / Alle they entre seurly that will liue pue kynge anon as he sawe them / sprange out of his chare and
resseyuyd them worshipfully with grete reuerence / wherfore his bat he were benerous and
blessid. And he answerd I wene well that I am right well
blessid
and fortunat / and that I haue well
proued
and fele and am expert therof And than the kynge secretly made to be hanged ouer his heed a sharp cuttynge swerde hangynge by an hors heer or a sile peple ne requyre no more than they ought to haue by reson / ne that they take of the sellars ne of the byars no more than the right custom and toll / for they bere the name of a cot thou haue no despite to the poure mendicants / yf thou wilt come and atteyne to thingis souerayn for the Iniurye that is don wyth oute cause / torneth to diffame hym that doth hit / A Iogheler on a tyme beheld socrates and said to hym / thou hast the eyen of corrumpour of children & art as a traytre. And whan his disciples herde hym / they wold
auengid their maister But he repreuyd hem by suche sentence sa
THe rybauldes. players of dyse And the messant the poure demandeth and beggeth er he felith / and also hit is sayd that he yt dispendith moe cheste where my tresour is Iime / whiche keyes they kepe / and I haue put on eche keye a bille & writynge
ȜE haue deuised aboue the thinges that apperteyne vnto the formes of the chesse men and of theyr offices / that is to wete as well of noble men as of the comyn peple / than hit apperteyneth that we shold deuyse shortly how they yssue and goon oute of the plae eschequer wyde as full
And ye shall first vnderstande wherfore that ther ben
e bordour of the schequyer is hyher than the table wyth in. hit is to be vnderstande yt the bordour aboute representeth the walle of ye cyte / whiche is right hyghe / And therfor made ye philosopher the bordour more hyghe than ye tablier And as ye
blessid saint Iherome saith vpon ye prophesie of ysaye / that is to wete vpon a montayne of obscurete. whiche wordes were said of babilone whiche standeth in chaldee / and nothinge of that babilone that stondeth in egipte / for it is so yt babilone whiche standeth in chaldee was sette in a right grete playne / & had so hyghe walles that by the heyghte of them / was contynuell derkenes ene hyghnes of the walle / And therfore ysaye callid hit ye montaigne obscure / And saint Iherome sayth yt the mesure of the heyght of this walle was thre thousand paas / whiche extendeth vnto ye lengthe of thre
e playe The seconde cause is why the peple ben sette to fore the nobles and haue the table wyde to fore them / is be cause they begyn the bataylle / They ought to take hede and entende to do
t ther ben in the tab
WE ought to knowe that in this world / the kynt they defended not ner toke hede vnto the thingis yt apperteynen to the kynge to the comyn and to the royame / the royalme shold ano• smith on that on side / and that other e kyng out of his propre place of his owen vertue whan he begynneth to meue. But whan he ie Iuges / the auctorite of the vicaires or legates The coe peple
• extremyte / And also he ought to take hede that he stande not soo that a knyght or an other saith chek rook / than the kyng loseth ye rook / That kynge is not well fortunat that leseth hym to whom his Auctoryte delegate apperteyneth / who may doo the nedes of the royame yf he be priuyd taken or dede / that was pro
WHan the Quene whiche is accompanyed vnto the kynge begynneth to meue from her propre place / She goth in dowble manere / that is to wete as an Alphyn whan she is black / she may goo on the ryght syde & come in to the poynt to fore the notayre And on the lifte syde in the black poynt and come to fore the gardees of the cyte And hit is to wete that she sortiseth in her self the nature in .iii. maners first on the ryght syde to fore the alphyn / Secondly on the lifte syde where the knyght is / And thirdly indirectly vnto the black poynt to fore the phisicyen And the rayson why. Is for as moche as she hath in her self by grace / the auc
THe manere and nature of the draught of the Ale right syde vnto the black space wyde to fore the marchant / For the marchants nede ofte tymes counceylle and ben in debate of questions whiche muste be determyned by the Iuges / And that other yssue is vnto the place to fore the rybauldis And that ys be cause that ofte tymes amonge them. falle noyses discencions thefte and manslaghter / wherfore they ought to be punysshid by the Iuges / And ye shall vnderstande that the alphyn goth alleway corner wyse fro the thirde poynt to the thirde poynt kepynge allway his owne siege / For yf he be black / he goth allway black / And yf he be whyte he goth alleway whyte. the yssue or goynge cornerly or angularly signefieth cau
AFter the yssue of the Alphyns we shall deuyse to yow the yssue & the moeuynge of the knyghe marchant whiche is sette to fore the kynge / the whiche is black / And the reson is for as moche as he ought and is holden to deffende the kynge as well as his owen persone / whan he passith the first draught / he may goo foure wayes / And whan he is in the myddes of the tabler he may goo in to .viii. places sondry / to whiche he may renne And in lyke wise may the lyfte knyght goo whiche is black and goth oute of his place in to white / and in that maner goth the knyght fightynge by his myght / and groweth and multiplieth in hys poyntis / And ofte tymes by them the felde Is wonne or lost / A knyghts vertue and myght is not knowen but by his fightynge / and in his fightynge he doth moche harme for as moche as his myght extendeth in to so many poyntis / they ben in many peryllis in theyr fightynge / And whan they escape they haue the honour of the game And thus is hit of euery man the more vail
e vicairca and comyssioners ought to be verray true rightwis & Iuste / and ye shall vnderstande that they ben stronge and
ONe yssue and one mouynge apperteyneth vnto alle the peple / For they may goo fro the poynt they stande in at the first meuynge vnto the thirde poynt right forth to fore them / & whan they haue so don they may afterward mene no more but fro one poynt ryght forth in to an other / And they may neuer retorne backward
And thus goynge forth fro poynt to poynt They may gete by vertue and strengthe / that thynge that the other noble fynde by dignyte / And yf the knyghtes and other nobles helpe hem that they come to the ferthest sygne to fore 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 ligne / yf he be white as labourer draper phie noblee play of the chesse / and ye shall vnderstande that no noble man ought to haue despite of the comyn peple / for hit hath ben ofte tymes seen / that by their vertu a witte / Diuerce of them haue comen to right highe a grete astate as poopes bisshoppes Emperours and kynges / As we haue in the historye of Dauid that was made kynge / of a shepherd
and one of the comyn peple / and of many other e nacion of mantua and was of lowe and symple lignage / yet he was souerayn in wisedom and science and the moste noble of alle the poctes / of whome the renome is and
shall be durynge the world / so hit happend that an other poete axid
and
demanded of hym wherfore he setted not the versis of homere in his book / And he answerd that he shold be of right grete strength and force that shold pluck the clubbe out of hercules handes / And thys suffyceth the state and draughtis of the comyn peple
e thynges abouesayd as shortly as I haue conne / First this playe or game was founden in the tyme of emt he wold put hym in deuoyr to correcte hym / and than he began to thynke in what maner he myght escape the deth and kepe to the peple his promesse / And than thus he made in this mat his noble royame of Englond may prospere & habounde in vertues / and yt synne may be eschewid iustice kepte / the royame defended
good men rewarded malefac