The game at chesse. A metaphoricall discourse shewing the present estate of this kingdome. The kings, the queenes, the bishops, the knights, the rooks, the pawns. The knights signifie the high Court of Parliament; the rookes, the cavaleers.

The game at chesse. A metaphoricall discourse shewing the present estate of this kingdome. The kings, the queenes, the bishops, the knights, the rooks, the pawns. The knights signifie the high Court of Parliament; the rookes, the cavaleers.

Table of contents

Title page

The Game at Chesse: A Metaphoricall Discourse, shewing the present estate of this Kingdome.

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The Game at Chesse: A Metaphoricall Discourse, shewing the present estate of this Kingdome.

TO discourse of the excellency and antiquity of the noble Game of Chesse, would require a farre larger volume then my occasion will permit to write, my intention being onely at the expression of this Kingdomes affaires, which fitly may be Allegorically described by the battaile of the Chesse; yet cannot I omit to tell you, that this Chesse is the ancientest of all games of that nature, being invented (as is credibly affirmed) by Xerxes, King of Persia, many yeeres before the nativity of our Saviour, to avoid idlenesse among his souldiers, when hee led those great and stupendious armies that levelled mountaines, and drunke up rivers in their passage into Greece: and indisputably, it is allowed to be the most excellent and ingenious of all games, being far superior to Cards or Tables, which depend as much on the uncertaine disposition of chance, as upon the gamesters skill or cunning, when this of Chesse is meerly directed by the strength of wit and judgement: the Spanyard, whose [Page] gravity in carriage is famous above all Nations, having it in so much esteeme, that they will allow any stranger to be a Gentleman that can play at the Chesse. But according to my promise, to avoyd prolixity, I shall briefly to my promised Allegory.

First, we must take into consideration, who are the principall combatants in this battell, and wee shall finde to be two different armies, Black and White; over each of which is a King, and Queen; their assistants, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, and Pawnes.

And first for the King, Hee is the principall leader on of his men, the Queen as his Lievtenant Generall, the Bishops his Counsellors, the Knights his supreme Officers, the Rooks and Pawnes his Gentlemen or Cavaliers, and mercenary souldiers. This being presupposed, the application of this Allegoricall Game will be very easily alluded to the present businesse of this Realme.

First, the blacke Army at Chesse, signifies justly and aptly his Majesties, which bath produced so many blacke and bloody effects in this Kingdome, and so many plunderings, rapines and murthers, that the beautious face of this pleasant Land is bestained and bedewed with blood; the Inhabitants thereof beaten and terrified out of their peaceful dwellings, their goods dispoyled and taken away by his Majesties Rooks, namely the Cavaliers: and if the Euxine sea is called the blacke sea, out of its blacke effects, certainly by the same reason that may be termed the blaoke Army.

The white Army, which is the Ensigne and Badge of innocence, betokens the Parliaments Army, raised for the security and safety of the Common-wealth, against the said blacke Army of Malignants. His Majesty moves as doth th [...] king at Chesse; after the motion of his Pawnes, Rooks, Knights, Bishops and Queen; and according as they thrive is the successe in the battell: how evidently is this paralelled with the Kings proceedings. First his Pawnes move, these were those poor [...]e Courtiers, that to begin the afflictions of [Page] this Kingdome first gave life to those fearefull and oppressive Monopolies, begging such things to themselves as were destructive to the essence of the peoples liberties, and the fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome; and when they, like common souldiers, or forlorne hopes, had led the way to this game of death and destruction, forward steps the Rooks, viz. the Cavaliers, young Gentlemen of as desperate fortunes as conditions, and they fall pell mell into the conflict, perceiving the white Knights, viz. the honourable the high Court of Parliament assembled to stop the violent torrent of the Pawnes proceedings, instill into his Majestie, that there was no safety for him, against the endevours of the white Knights, if he did not straight forsake their association, and betake himselfe to open hostility and armes, that so this Kingdome, which in the precedent yeeres of his father, and his owne peacefull raigne, had beene governed by the Lawes and Justice; might fall into the hands of the souldiery, that they whose armes had long time rusted in ease might againe be put into use, that they who had no estates at all might have a military licencious priviledge to prey upon the estates of others, which how they have done is to the whole Kingdome perspicuous; and communicating their intents with the blacke Knights, namely, such of his Majesties Cabinet-Councellors and the discontented Nobility (as either ambition, or their owne passed crimes had rendered obnoxious to the just censure of the white Knights) they found them ready to assist their malevolent and ungracious purposes, and they in their degree, as they are at Chesse, being neere the King, with open out-cryes, instill into his Majesties too credulous eares unheard jealousies, feares and suppositions, and intimated to him, that the white Knights intended to abridge his Royall prerogative, and quite contrary to the dignity of Kings to confine the Regall power to limits, and lessen his authority descendent to him from his Ancestors; but fearing their owne perswasions would not be prevalent enough to set him into open hostility with [Page] the white Knights they draw into their confederay the Bishops, who apted for innovations readily joyned in the conspiracie, telling his Majesty, that the purity of Religion was perverted; that divers new and unheard of Schismes and Heresies were crept up in the Church, of which he was bound to be the Defendor; that the white Knights by reducing an Annarchy upon the Church, sought to inflict the same upon the soveraignty, that their power Ecclesiasticall being de jure Divino, was correlative and consubsistent with Majesty; and if that the one were taken away, the other could not stand, using all the subtile perswasions ambition and malice (which are two pernitious counsellors) could invent, to set afire the adust melancholy in His Majesty: the Queen too (wrought upon by their means) incensing the King to this dissention with the white Knights, namely, his Parliament, at last it tooke effect according to their wishes, and his Majesty pretending hee could not be in safety at his owne Palace, withdrew himselfe thence into the North, (after the transportation of his Queene) who, as his Lievtenant Generall, was to furnish him from beyond the Seas with forraigne supplies, and from the North, as the Proverb testifies, can come no goodnesse, and there drew his army of Pawnes and Rooks, Cavaliers and Malignants, Knight and Bishops, discontented, Nobility, Gentry and Clergy together, and with banner displayed, resolved to bid the white Knights battell; who seeing themselves so endangered by the malice of their enemies, began to bestir themselves, summoning their Pawnes, namely well-affected souldiers, their Rooks, valiant Gentlemen and loyall subjects; their Knights, those of the Nobility and Gentry, that stood for the good of the Kingdome, and liberty of the Subject; their Bishops, the religious and untainted Clergie, they created themselves in stead of a King and Queene, a Lievtenant Generall, and a Generall to mannage their army, and fight the Lords battells against that blacke Regiment of Cavaliers, and so advanced toward [Page] the Enemy. The game at Edge-hill being now begun, first fell to it the Pawnes on both sides, the Rooks and Knights sighting with much fortitude and courage; the innocence of the cause on the white Knights side so animating their valiant Pawnes and Rooks, that on the black Rooks, the Cavaliers, they fell with much force and violence, disordering their Rankes, taking divers of them prisoners, and slaughtering others; for the blacke Bishops, they were taken prisoners by the white ones, and their Knights; and according to the custome of Chesse, put into a bag, divers of them being imprisoned, and the wings of their authority which soared so high, clipt so neare, that they can now fly no more then tame Jack-dawes. But yet the fight was not ended, those sturdy Knaves, the blacke Rooks, the Cavaliers, rallying themselves againe together, and as it were leading His Majesty captive to Oxford, have there intrenched themselves, and made since divers attempts upon the white Knights forces, whose Generall (vigilant on all occasions that might advantage this parties cause, and secure the Common-wealth) hath met those mischievous Rooks divers times, and given them strange and advantagious overthrowes; yet they according to their naturall condition, perverse and malignant, will not be perswaded to submit to authority, or to suffer the Kingdome to be in peace, but with continuall excursions and inrodes, they invade the Subjects Estates and Persons that continue firme in their Allegiance to the King and the white Knights, plundering their Houses, and inforcing their wives and daughters to their lusts; so that the cry of their iniquity hath even ascended up to heaven, and called out on the divine omnipotence for vengeance against their bestiall and abominable cruelties. The blacke Bishops in the meane time stirring up the people to their part, by wresting Texts of Scripture to serve their purpose, so that when this battell at the Chesse between the white and blacke Houses will be ended, surpasses my skill in [Page] prophesie, to determine. The only way to end this desperate conflict in my opinion, were if His sacred Majesty would be pleased to hearken to the counsels of the white Knights, and re-associate himselfe with them; giving up his blacke Pawnes and Rooks, His Cavaliers and Malignants, to the impartiall hands of Gregory, who would finish all their machinations and designes with a comfortable halter. If His Highnesse would please to put the residue of His blacke Bishops into the same bag where their fellowes are; and for His black Knights, give them up to be judged by their Peers, who would censure them with all equity according to their deserts, and so returne to His proper residence with His Queen to London, and then no doubt this fatall game at Chesse would be finished, till when, it is likely to continue in full force and vigor.

FINIS.

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[Page] The Game at Chesse. A metaphoricall discourse shewing the present estate of this Kingdome. The Kings, the Queenes, the Bishops, the Knights, the Rooks, the Pawns. The Knights signifie the high Court of Parliament; The Rookes, the Cavaleers.

[depiction of a game of chess between a parliamentarian and a royalist.]

London, Printed for Thomas Iohnson, Febr. 2. Anno Dom. 1643.

Information about this book

Title statement

The game at chesse. A metaphoricall discourse shewing the present estate of this kingdome. The kings, the queenes, the bishops, the knights, the rooks, the pawns. The knights signifie the high Court of Parliament; the rookes, the cavaleers.

Edition statement

1643

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Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A85672

ID [STC]

Wing G188

ID [STC]

Thomason E88_2

ID [STC]

ESTC R21326

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99871406

ID [PROQUEST]

99871406

ID [VID]

123817

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A85672)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 123817)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 15:E88[2])

Source

— The game at chesse. A metaphoricall discourse shewing the present estate of this kingdome. The kings, the queenes, the bishops, the knights, the rooks, the pawns. The knights signifie the high Court of Parliament; the rookes, the cavaleers., Cartwright, William, 1611-1643, attributed name..

Extent

8 p. : ill.

Printed for Thomas Iohnson,. London :: Febr. 2. Anno Dom. 1643.. (Attributed to William Cartwright in the Wrenn catalogue.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "1642".) (Title page has llustration of men at chess.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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