Game and Playe of the Chesse - Caxton
[Illustration]
_This chapitre of the thirder book treteth of Rybauldis players of dyse
and messagers and corrours_
The rybaulders, players of dyse and of messagers and corrours ought to
be sette to fore the rook/ For hit apperteyneth to the rook whiche is
vicayre & lieutenant of the kynge to haue men couenable for to renne
here and there for tenquyre & espie the place and cytees that myght be
contrarye to the kynge/ And thys pawn that representeth thys peple ought
to be formed in this maner/ he must haue the forme of a man that hath
longe heeris and black and holdeth in his ryght hand a lityll monoye And
in his lyfte hande thre Dyse And aboute hym a corde in stede of a
gyrdell/ and ought to haue a boxe full o lettres And by the first/
whiche is money is vnderstand they that be fole large & wastours of
theyr goodes/ And by the seconde whiche is the dyse Ben represented the
players at dyse/ Rybauldes and butters/ And by the thyrde whiche is the
boxe full of lettres ben representid the messagers. corrours/ And berars
of lettres/ And y'e shall vnderstande that the roock whiche is vicaire of
the kynge whan he seeth to fore hym suche peple as ben folelarge and
wastours. He is bounden to constitute and ordeyne vpon them tutours and
curatours to see that they etc not ne waste in suche maner theyr goodes
ne theyr heritages/ that pouerte constrayne hem not to stele/ For he
that of custome hath had haboundance of moneye and goth and dispendith
hit folily and wasteth hit away/ whan he cometh to pouerte and hath
nought/ he must nedes begge and axe his breed, orellis he must be a
theef/ For suche maner of peple/ yf they haue ben delicyous they wyll
not laboure/ for they haue not lerned hit And yf they be noble and comen
of gentilmen/ they be ashamed to axe and begge/ And thus muste they by
force whan they haue wasted theyr propre goodes yf they wyll lyue they
muste stele and robbe the goodes of other And y'e shall vnderstande that
folelarge is a right euyll vice/ for how well that she dooth good and
prouffyt somtyme to other yet she doth harme and domage to hym that so
wasteth. Caffiodore admonesteth the fole larges to kepe theyr thynges/
that by no necessite they falle in pouerte/ And that they be not
constrayned to begge ne to stele of other men For he faith that hit is
gretter subtilte to kepe well his owne goodes/ than to fynde strange
thynge/ and that it is gretter vertue to kepe that is goten than to gete
and wynne more/ and claudian saith in like wise in his book that hit is
a gretter thynge & better to kepe that is goten Than to gete more And
therfore hit is sayd y't the poure demandeth and beggeth er he felith/
and also hit is sayd that he y't dispendith more than he hath/ with oute
strook he is smyten to the deth/ Ther was a noble man named Iohn de
ganazath whiche was ryght ryche/ And this man had but two doughters whom
he maryed to two noble men/ And whan he had maryed them/ he loued so
well his sones in lawe their husbondes/ that in space & succession of
tyme/ he departed to them alle his goodes temporell/ And as longe as he
gaf to them they obeyed hym & were right diligent to plese and serue
hym/ so hit befell that on a tyme that he had alle gyuen in so moche
that he had ryght nought/ Than hit happend that they to whom he had
gyuen his goodes/ whiche were wonte to be amyable & obeyssant to hym as
longe as he gaf. Whan tyme cam that he was poure and knewe that he had
not they becam unkynde Disagreable and disobeyssant/ And whan the fader
sawe that he was deceyuyd by his debonayrte and loue of his doughters/
He desired and couetyed fore teschewe his pouerte/ At laste he wente to
a marchant that he knewe of olde tyme. And requyred hym to lene to hym.
x. thousand pound for to paye and rendre agayn wyth in thre dayes/ And
he lente hit hym/ and whan he had brought hit in to his hows/ Hit
happend that hit was a day of a solempne feste/ on whiche daye he gaf to
his doughters and her hufbonde a right noble dyner/ and after dyner he
entrid in to his chambre secretly wyth them/ And drewe out of a coffre
that he had do make all newe shettynge with iii. lockis/ the menoye that
the marchant had lente hym And poured out vpon a tapyte that his
doughtres and theyr hufbondes myght see hit/ And whan he had shewid hit
vnto them he put hit vp agayn and put hit in to the cheste saynynge that
hit had ben all his And whan they were departed he bare the money home
to the marchant that he had borowed hit of/ And the next day after his
doughters and theyre hufbondes Axid of hym how moche moneye was in the
cheste that was shette wyth. iii. lockis/ And than he fayned and saide
that he had therein. xxv. thousand pound/ whiche he kepte for to make
his testament and for to leue to his doughters and hem/ yf they wolde
here hem as well to hym ward as they dyde whan they were maried/ And
than whan they herde that/ they were right Ioyous and glad And they
thoughte and concluded to serue hym honorably as well in clothynge as in
mete and drynke & of alle other thynges necessarye to hym vnto his ende
And after this whan the ende of hym began tapproche/ he callyd his
doughters and her husbondes and sayd to hem in thys mauere/ y'e shall
vnderstande that the moneye that is in the chest shette vnder. iii.
lockes I wylle leue to yow Sanynge I wyll that y'e gyue in my prefence er
I dye whilis I lyue to the frere prechours. C. pound and to the frere
menours. C. pound/ And to the heremytes of saynt Augustyn .I. pound to
thende that whan I am buryed and put in the erthe y'e may demande of them
the keyes of y'e cheste where my tresour is Inne/ whiche keyes they
kepe/ and I haue put on eche keye a bille & writynge In witnessinge of
the thynges abouesayd/ And also y'e shall vnderstande that he dyde do to
be gyuen whilis he laye in his deth bedde to eche churche and recluse
and to poure peple a certayn quantyte of moneye by the handes of his
doughters husbondes/ whiche they dyde gladly. In hope to haue shortly
the money that they supposid had ben in the cheste/ And whan hit cam to
the last day/ that he deyde/ He was born to churche and his exequye don
and was buryed solempnly/ And the eyght daye the seruyse worshipfully
accomplisshid/ They wente for to demande the keyes of the Religious men
that they had kept/ whiche were deliueryd to them/ And than they wente
and opend the coffre where they supposid the money had ben Inne/ And
there they fonde no thyng but a grete clubbe/ And on the the handlynge
was wreton/ J Iohn of canazath make this testament/ that he be slayn
wyth this clubbe/ that leuyth his own prouffit. And gyuyth hit to other/
as who sayth hit is no wysedom for a man to gyue his good to his
children and kepe none for hym self/ And y'e shall vnderstande that it is
grete folye to dispende and waste his good/ In hope for to recoure hit
of other/ be hit of sone or doughter or ryght nyghe kyn/ For aman ought
to kepe in his hande in dispendynge his owen goodes/ to fore he see that
he dyspende other mennys/ And he ought not to be holden for a good man/
That hath lityll renome and spendeth many thyngys/ And I trowe that
suche persones wold gladly make noueltees as for to noye and greue
feignories and meue warres and tencions agaynst them that habounde in
rychesses and goodes/ And also make extorcyons clamours & trybulacyons
ayenst theyr lordes to thende to waste the goodes of the peple. lyke as
they haue wasted theyris And suche a wastour of goodes may neuer be good
for the comyn prouffit. And y'e shall vnderstande that after these
wastours of goodes we saye that the pleyars of dyse and they that vse
bordellis ben worst of alle other For whan the hete of playnge at the
dyse/ And the couetyse of theyr stynkynge lecherye hath brought hem to
pouerte/ hit foloweth by force that they muste ben theuys and robbeurs
And also dronkenship. glotonye. And alle maner of euyllis folowe them
and myschief/ And they folowe gladly the companyes of knyghtes and of
noble men whan they goon vnto the warre or batayllis And they coueyte
not so moche the victorye as they do the robberie And they do moche
harme as they goo And they brynge lityll gayn or wynnynge/ wherof hit
happend on a tyme that fsaynt bernard rode on an hors aboute in the
contrey And mette wyth an hasardour or dyse-player/ whiche sayd to hym/
thou goddes man wilte thou playe at dyse wyth me thyn hors ayenst my
sowle/ to whom saynt Bernard answerd/ yf thou wilt oblige thy sowle to
me ayenst my hors/ I wolle a lighte doun & playe wyth the/ and yf thou
haue mo poyntes than I on thre dyse I promyse the thou shalt haue myn
hors/ And than he was glad/ and an[=o]n cafte. iii. dyse/ And on eche dyse
was a fyfe/ whiche made. xviii. poynts And anone he toke the hors by the
brydell/ as he that was fewr that he had wonne/ and said that the hors
was his And than saynt Bernard sayde abyde my sone For ther ben mo
poyntes on the dyse than. xviii. And than he caste the dyse/ In suche
wyse that one of the. iii. dyse clefte a sonder in the myddes/ And on
that one parte was fyfe and on that other an Aas/ And eche of that other
was a fyfe/ And than Saynt Bernard sayde That he had wonne hys sowle for
as moche as he had caste on thre dyse. xix. points/ And than whan thys
player sawe and apperceyuyd thys myracle/ He gaf hys sowle to saynt
Bernard and be cam a monke and finysshid his lyf in good werkes/ The
corrours and berars of lettres ought hastely and spedily do her viage
that comanded hem/ with oute taryenge/ For their taryenge might noye and
greue them that sende hem forth/ or ellis them to whom they ben sent
too/ And torne hem to ryght grete domage or villonye/ for whiche cause
euery noble man ought well to take hede to whom he deliuere his lettres
and his mandements/ and otherwhilis suche peple ben Ioghelers &
dronkelewe/ And goon out of their waye for to see abbayes and noble men
for to haue auantage And hit happeth ofte tymes/ that whan suche
messagers or currours ben enpesshid by ony taryenge/ That other currours
bere lettres contrarye to his/ And come to fore hym/ of which thinges
ofte tymes cometh many thinges discouenable of losse of frendes of
castellys & of lande & many other thinges as in the feet of marchandise
&c. And otherwhile hit happeth that a prynce for the faulte of suche
messangers lefeth to haue victorye vpon hys enemyes/ And also ther ben
some that whan they come in a cyte where they haue not ben to fore/ that
ben more besy to visyte the Cyte and the noble men that dwelle theryn/
Than they ben to doo theyr voyage/ whyche thynge they ought not to doo/
But yf they had specyall charge of them that sente hem forth so to doo.
And also whan they be sente forth of ony lordes or marchauntes they
ought to be well ware/ that they charge hem not wyth ouer moche mete on
morenynges ne with to moche wyn on euenynges/ wherby her synewis and
vaynes myght be greuy/ that they muste for faute of good rewle tarye But
they ought to goo and come hastely for to reporte to their maistres
answers as hit apperteyneth And this suffisen of the thynges aboue sayd.
BOOK IV.
[Illustration]
_The fourth tractate & the last of the progression and draughtes of the
forsayd playe of the chesse.
The first chapitre of the fourth tractate of the chesse borde in genere
how it is made._
Ze 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 places where they be sette/ And
first we ought to speke of the forme and of the facion of the chequer
after that hit representeth and was made after/ For hyt was made after
the forme of the cyte of Babyloyne/ In the whiche this same playe was
founden as hit is sayd afore/ And foure thinges The first is/ wher y'e
shal vnderstande that y'e ought to consydere here in fore that. lxiiii.
poyntes ben sette in the eschequer whiche ben alle square/ The seconde
is wherfore the bordeur aboute his hyher than the squarenes of the
poyntes/ The thirde is wherfore the comyn peple ben sette to fore the
nobles/ The fourthe wherfore the nobles and the peples ben sette in
their propre places Ther ben as many poyntes in y'e eschequer wyde as
full And y'e shall first vnderftande wherfore that ther ben. lxiiii.
poyntes in the eschequer/ For as the blessid saint Iherome saith/ the
cyte of babilone was right grete and was made alle square/ and in euery
quarter was. xvi. myle by nombre and mesure/ the whiche nombre foure
tymes told was. lxiiii. myles/ After the maner of lombardye they be
callid myles/ and in france leukes/ and in englong they be callid mylis
also/ And for to reprefente the mesure of thys cyte/ In whiche thys
playe or game was founden/ The philosopher that fonde hit first ordeyned
a tablier conteynyng .lxiiii. poynts square/ the which ben comprised
wyth in the bordour of the tablier/ ther ben xxxii. on that on fide &.
xxxii. on that other whiche ben ordeyned for the beaulte of the playe/
and for to mewe the maner & drawynge of the chesse as hit shall appere
in the chapitres folowynge/ and as to the seconde wherfore y'e bordour
of theschequyer is hyher than the table wyth in. hit is to be
vnderftande y't the bordour aboute representeth the walle of t'e cyte/
whiche is right hyghe/ And therfor made y'e philosopher the bordour more
hyghe than y'e tablier. And as y'e blessid saint Iherome saith vpon y'e
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 y't 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 environed &
obscurete/ that none erthely man might beholde and see the ende of y'e
hyghnes of the walle/ And therfore ysaye callid hit y'e montaigne
obscure/ And saint Iherome sayth y't the mesure of the heyght of this
walle was thre thousand paas/ whiche extendeth vnto y'e lengthe of thre
myle lombardes/ hit is to wete that lombarde mylis and english myles ben
of one lengthe And in one of the corners of this cyte was made a toure
treangle as a shelde wherof the heyght extended vnto the lengthe of
.vii. thousand paas/ whiche is .vii. myle english And this tour was
callyd the tour of Babell/ The walles aboute the tour made a woman whos
name was semiranus as sayth virgilius/ As to the thirde wherfore the
comyn peple ben sette to fore the nobles in the felde of the bataylle in
one renge First for as moche as they ben necessarye to alle nobles For
the rooke whiche standeth on the ryght syde and is vicaire of the kynge
what may he doo yf the labourer were not sette to fore hym and labourid
to mynystre to hym suche temporell thynges as be necessary for hym/ And
what may the knyght doo yf he ne had to fore hym the smyth for to forge
his armours. sadellis. axis and spores and suche thynges as apperteyneth
to hym/ And what is a knyght worth wyth oute hors and armes/ certaynly
nothynge more than on of the peple or lasse pauenture And in what maner
shold the nobles lyue yf no man made cloth and bought and solde
marchandyse/ And what shulde kynges and quenes and the other lordes doo
yf they had no phisicyens ne cyrurgiens/ than I saye 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/ despise not the
comyn peple for as moche as they ben sette to fore the in y'e pleye 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 theyr offices and theyr craftes/ In suche
wyse that they suffre the noble men to gouerne the cytees and to
counceylle and make ordenances of the peple of the batayll how shold a
labourer a plowman or a craftyman counceylle and make ordenance of suche
thynges as he neuer lerned/ And wote ne knoweth the mater vpon what
thynge the counceylle ought to be taken/ Certes the comyn peple ought
not to entende to none other thynge but for to do their seruyse and the
office whiche is couenable vnto hem/ And hyt apperteyneth not to hem to
be of counceyllys ne at the aduocacions/ ne to menace ne to threte
noman/ for ofte tymes by menaces and by force good counceylle is
distroublid/ And where good counceyll faylleth/ there ofte tymes the
cytees ben betrayed and destroyed/ And Plato sayth That the comyn
thynges and the cytees ben blessid whan they ben gouerned by wyse men/
or whan the gouernours studye in wisedom/ And so hit apperteyneth to the
comyn to lerne to vttre the maters & the maner of procuracion to fore
they be counceyllours/ For hit happeth oftetymes that he that maketh hym
wyser that he vnderstandeth is made more foole than he is/ And the
fourth cause wherfore y't ther ben in the tabler as many poynts wyde as
ben full. hit is to wete for that they what euer they be that haue peple
to gouerne/ ought tenforce to haue cytees & caftellis & possessions for
to sette his peple theryn/ And for to laboure & doo their ocupacion/ For
for to haue the name of a kynge with out royame is a name voyde/ and
honour with oute prouffit/ And alle noblesse wyth oute good maners/ and
with out suche thinges as noblesse may be mayntenyd/ ought better be
callid folye than noblesse. And shamefull pouerte is the more greuous
whan hit cometh by nature of an hyhe and noble burth or hous. For noman
gladly wole repreue a poure man of the comyn peple/ But euery man hath
in despite a noble man that is poure yf he haue not in hym good maners
and vertuous/ by whiche his pouerte is forgoten/ and truly a royame with
oute haboundance of goodes by whiche hit may be gouerned and prospere/
may better be callyd a latrocynye or a nest of theeuys than a royame/
Alas what haboundance was some tymes in the royames. And what prosite/
In whiche was Iustice/ And euery man in his office contente/ how stood
the cytees that tyme in worship and renome/ how was renomed the noble
royame of Englond Alle the world dredde hit And spack worship of hit/
how hit now standeth and in what haboundance I reporte me to them that
knowe hit yf ther ben theeuis wyth in the royame or on the see/ they
knowe that laboure in the royame And sayle on the see I wote well the
fame is grete therof I pray god saue that noble royame And sende good
true and politicque counceyllours to the gouernours of the same &c./ And
noblesse of lignage wyth oute puyssance and might is but vanyte and
despite. And hit is so as we haue sayd to fore that theschequer whiche
the philosopher ordeyned represented and figured the sayd cyte of
Babilone And in lyke wyse may hit figure a royame and signefye alle the
world And yf men regarde and take heed vnto the poyntes vnto the middes
of euery quadrante and so to double euery quadrant to other the myles of
this cyte all way doublinge vnto the nombre of .lxiiii. The nombre of
the same shulde surmounte alle the world/ And not only the world but
many worldes by the doublinge of mylis/ whiche doublinge so as a fore is
sayd shuld surmounte alle thynges/ And thus endeth the first chapitre of
the fourth booke.
[Illustration]
_The seconde chaitre of the fourth tractate tretheth of the draught of
the kynge/ And how he meuyth hym in the chequer._
We ought to knowe that in this world/ the kynges seygnourye and regne
eche in his royame. And in this playe we ought to knowe by the nature of
hit how the kynge meueth hym and yssueth oute of his place/ For y'e shall
vnderstande that he is sette in the fourth quadrante or poynt of
theschequer. And whan he is black/ he standeth in the white/ and the
knyght on his ryght side in white/ And the Alphyn and the rooke in
black/ And on the lifte side the foure holden the places opposite/ And
the rayson may be suche/ For be cause that the knyghtes ben the glorye &
the crowne of the kynge,' They ensiewe in semblable residence/ that they
doo whan they ben sette semblably on the ryght side of the kynge & on
the lyfte side of the quene/ And for as moche as the rook on the ryght
syde is vicayre of the kynge he accompanyeth the quene in semblable
siege that the Alphyn doth whiche is Iuge of the kynge/ And in lyke wyse
the lifte rook & the lyfte Alphyn accompanye the kynge in semblable
siege/ In suche wyse as they ben sette aboute the kynge in bothe sides
wyth the Quene in manere of a crowne/ That they may seurely kepe the
royame that reluyseth and shyneth in the kynge and in the Quene/ In
suche wyse as they may conferme and diffende hym in theyr sieges and in
theyr places. And the more hastily renne vpon his enemyes And for as
moche as the Iuge, the knyght/ and the vicaire. kepe and garnysshe the
kynge on that one syde/ They that ben sette on the other syde kepe the
Quene/ And thus kepe they alle the strength and fermete of the royame/
And semblably otherwhile for to ordeyne the thynges that apperteyne to
the counceyll/ and to the besoygne of the royame/ For yf eche man shold
entende to his owen proper thynges/ And y't they defended not ner toke
hede vnto the thingis y't apperteynen to the kynge to the comyn and to
the royame/ the royalme shold an[=o]n be deuided in parties And thus
myght the Iuge regne/ And the name of the dignyte royall shold be lost/
And truly for as moche as the kynge holdeth the dignyte aboue alle other
and the seygnourye royall/ therfore hit apperteyneth not that he absente
hym longe/ ne wythdrawe hym ferre by space of tyme from the maister
siege of his royame/ For whan he wele meue hym/ he ought not to passe at
the first draught the nombre of .iii. poynts/ And whan he begynneth thus
to meue from his whyt poynt/ he hath the nature of the rooks of the
right syde and of the lifte syde for to goo black or whithe/ And also he
may goo vnto the white poynt where the gardes of the Cyte ben sette And
in this poynt he hath the nature of a knyght. And thyse two maners of
meuynge apperteyneth otherwhile to the quene/ and for as moche as the
kynge and the quene that ben conioyned to geder by mariage ben one
thynge as one flessh and blood/ therfore may the kynge meue on the lifte
side of his propre poynt also wele as he were sette in the place of the
quene whiche is black/ and whan he goth right in maner of the rook only/
And hit happen that the aduersarie be not couered in ony poynt in the
seconde ligne/ The kynge may not passe from his black poynt vnto the
thirde ligne/ And thus he sortisith the nature of the rook on the ryght
syde and lyfte syde vnto the place of the knyghtes and for to goo ryght
to fore In to the whyte poynt to fore the marchant/ And the kynge also
sortyst the nature of the knyghtes whan he goth on the ryght syde in two
maners/ For he may put hym in the voyde space to fore the phisicyen/ And
in the black space to fore the tauerner/ And on the other side he goth
in to other two places in lyk wise that is to fore the smyth/ and the
notarye/ And thus as in goynge out first in to .iiii. poynts he sorteth
the nature of knyghtes/ and also the kynge sortiseth the nature of the
alphins at his first yssu in to .ii. places And he may goo on bothe
sides vnto the white place voyde/ that one to fore y'e smith on that on
side/ and that other to for the tauerner on that other side/ All these
yssues hath y'e kyng out of his propre place of his owen vertue 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 an other/
And than he sortiseth the nature of the comyn peple/ and thus by good
right he hath in hymfelf the nature of alle/ For alle the vertue that is
in the membres cometh of the heed and all meuyng of the body/ The
begynnynge & lyf comen from the herte/ And all the dignyte that the
subgettes haue by execucion/ and contynuell apparence of their meuynge &
yssue/ The kynge deteyneth hit & is attribued to hym/ the victorye of
the knightes/ the prudence of y'e Iuges/ the auctorite of the vicaires
or legates The c[=o]tynence of the quene/ the c[=o]corde & vnyte of y'e
peple Ben not all thise thinges ascribed vnto the honour and worship of
the kynge Jn his yssue whan he meuyd first The thirde ligne to fore the
peple he neuer excedeth/ Fro in the .iii. nombre alle maner of states
begynne to meue For the trynary nombre conteyneth .iii. parties/ whiche
make a perfect nombre/ For a trynarye nombre hath. i. ii. iii. Whiche
Ioyned to geder maken .vi. Whiche is the first parfyt nombre And
signefieth in this place/ vi. persones named that constitute the
fection of a royame That is to wete the kynge. the quene. Iuges,
knyghtes. the vicaires or legats/ and the comyn peple And therfor the
kynge ought to begynne in his first meuynge of .iii. poyntes/ that he
shewe perfection of lyf as well in hym self as in other After that the
kynge begynneth to meue he may lede wyth hym the quene/ after the maner
of his yssue For why the quene foloweth vnto two angularye places/ after
the maner of the alphyn/ and to a place indirect in the maner of a rook
in to the black poynt to fore the phisicien/ herin is signefied that the
women may not meue neyther make vowes of pylgremage ner of viage
wythoute the wylle of theyr husbondes/ For yf a woman had a vowed ony
thynge/ her husbonde lyuynge/ and agaynsaynge/ she may not yelde ne
accomplisshe her vowe/ yf the husbond wyll goo oughwer. he may well goo
wyth oute her And yf so be that the husbond wyll haue her wyth hym/ she
is bounden to folowe hym/ And by reson For a man is the heed of a woman/
and not econuerso/ For as to suche thingis as longe to patrymony/ they
ben lyke/ but the man hath power ouer her body/ And so hath not the
woman ouer his And therfore whan the kynge begynneth to meue. the Quene
may folowe/ And not alleway whan she meuyd it is no nede the kynge to
meue/ For why four the first lignes be with in the limytes and space of
the royame/ And vnto the thirde poynt the kynge may meue at his first
meuynge out of his propre place/ And whan he passith the fourth ligne he
goeth oute of his royame. And yf he passe oon poynt late hym beware/ For
the persone of a kynge Is acounted more than a thousand of other/ For
whan he exposeth hym vnto the paryllis of bataylle/ Hit is necessarye
that he goo temperatly and slyly/ For yf he be taken or ded/ or ellis
Inclusid and shette vp/ Alle the strengthes of alle other faylle and
alle Is fynysshid and loste/ And therfore he hath nede to goo and meue
wysely/ And also therfore he may not meue but one poynt after hys fyrst
meuynge but where that euer he goo foreward or bacward or on that one
syde or that other or ellis cornerwyse/ He may neuer approche hys
aduersarye the kynge nerrer than in the thirde poynt/ And therfore the
kynges in batayll ought neuer tapproche one nyghe that other/ And also
whan the kynge hath goon so ferre that alle his men be lost/ than he is
sole/ And than he may not endure longe whan he is brought to y't
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 y'e 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 prouisour of alle the royame/ he shall
bere a sack on his hede that Is shette in a cyte/ And alle they that
were theryn ben taken in captiuite and shette vp &c.