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The original punctutation has been preseved. Virgula suspensiva, shown here as / was in common use from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. Often used for short pauses (such as the cæsura in the middle of a line of poetry), but sometimes was used as equivalent to the punctus. '9 represents a superscripted 9 and is an ancestor to the modern apostrophe. It usually indicates the omission of a terminal -us. A small amount of text in this edition is in Blackletter, which was used in the Caxton original, and these sections have been marked up as such. The book contains many attractive illustrations copied from the Caxton original and an HTML version exists to give a better representation of this.] banner lion J Jonathon Oldbuck on the Game of Chess, 1474 The First Edition: copies in libraries and at sales Where was it printed? Caxton's account of the translation...
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This booke conteyneth. iiii. traytees/ The first traytee is of the Invencion of this playe of the chesse/ and conteyneth. iii. chapitres. The first chapitre is under what kynge this play was founden. The .ii. chapitre/ who fonde this playe. The .iii. chapitre/ treteth of. iii. causes why hit was made and founden. The seconde traytee treteth of the chesse men/ and conteyneth .v. chapitres. The first chapitre treteth of the forme of a kynge and of suche thinges as apperteyn to a kynge. The .ii. chapitre treteth of y'e quene & her forme & maners. The .iii. chapitre of the forme of the alphins and her offices and maners. The .iiii. chapitre is of the knygth and of his offices. The .v. is of the rooks and of their maners and offices. The thirde traytee is of the offices of the comyn peple And hath .viii. chapitres. The first...
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T The readers of the "Antiquary" will remember the anecdote told with so much effusion by Jonathan Oldbuck. '"Davy Wilson," he said, "commonly called Snuffy Davy, from his inveterate addiction to black rappee, was the very prince of scouts for searching blind alleys, cellars, and stalls, for rare volumes. He had the scent of a slow-hound, sir, and the snap of a bull-dog. He would detect you an old black-letter ballad among the leaves of a law-paper, and find an editio princeps under the mask of a school Corderius. Snuffy Davy bought the 'Game of Chess, 1474,' the first book ever printed in England, from a stall in Holland for about two groschen, or two-pence of our money. He sold it to Osborne for twenty pounds, and as many books as came to twenty pounds more. Osborne re-sold this inimitable windfall to Dr. Askew for sixty guineas. At Dr. Askew's...
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(See antè , p. xxviii.) Ægidius Romanus de regimine principum L. III. s. l. 1473. Folio. This Ebert and Græsse conjecture to have been printed by G. Zainer. They describe it as the first edition of a work frequently reprinted, and say that the last edition appeared at Lugd. Batav. in 1643, and had on the title-page the name of St. Thomas Aquinas as author. Hain mentions editions at Rome--Stephanum Plannck, 1482, folio; Venetiis, 1498. ( French translation. ) Miroir exemplaire, selon la compilation du Gilles de Rome du regime et gouvernement des rois etc. (by Henri de Gauchy or de Gauchay) et avec est compris le secret de Aristote appellé le secret des secrets, et les noms des rois de France com bien de temps ils out regné. Paris, 1517. Folio. ( Græsse. ) This was printed by Guillaum Eustace: "On les v=et au palais au Tiers pillier Et...
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(See antè , p. xxiv.) Incipit solati[=u] ludi schacor. Scilicz regiminis ac morum nominu= et officium viror' nobili[=u] quor' si quis formas menti impresserit bellum ipsum et ludi virtutem cordi faciliter poterit optinere. (E)Go frater iacobus de thessolonia multor' fratru= &c. Ends: Explicit folaci[=u] ludi schacor'. Folio. 40 leaves. There is neither date, place, nor printer's name given; but it is considered to have been the work of Nic. Ketelær and Ger. de Leempt, at Utrecht (Ultrajectus), about 1473. ( Linde, Græsse .) Incipit libellus de ludo Scaccorum, et de dictis factisque nobilium virorum, philosophorum et antiquorum. Explicit tabula super ludum Scacchorum. Deo gratias. 4to. 29 leaves. Sign. A--H. This is in black letter, and has neither date nor place. ( Linde .) Incipit libelles de ludo Schaccorum. Explicit doctrina vel morum informatio, accepta de modo et ordine Ludi Schaccorum. 4to. Incipit liber quem composuit frater. Jacobus' de cessolis ordinis...
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[42] T To the right noble/ right excellent & vertuous prince George duc of Clarence Erle of warwyck and of salifburye/ grete chamberlayn of Englond & leutenant of Irelond oldest broder of kynge Edward by the grace of god kynge of England and of france/ your most humble servant william Caxton amonge other of your seruantes sendes unto yow peas. helthe. Joye and victorye upon your Enemyes/ Right highe puyssant and redoubted prynce/. For as moche as I haue understand and knowe/ that y'e are enclined unto the comyn wele of the kynge our sayd saueryn lord. his nobles lordes and comyn peple of his noble royame of Englond/ and that y'e sawe gladly the Inhabitants of y'e same enformed in good. vertuous. prouffitable and honeste maners. In whiche your noble persone wyth guydyng of your hows haboundeth/ gyuyng light and ensample unto all other/ Therfore I haue put me...
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T The holy appostle and doctour of the peple saynt Poule sayth in his epystle. Alle that is wryten is wryten unto our doctryne and for our lernyng. Wherfore many noble clerkes haue endeuoyred them to wryte and compyle many notable werkys and historyes to the ende that it myght come to the knowlege and vnderstondyng of suche as ben ygnoraunt. Of which the nombre is infenyte/ And accordyng to the same saith Salamon. that the nombre of foles. is infenyte/ And emong alle other good werkys. It is a werke of ryght special recomendacion to enforme and to late vnderstonde wysedom and vertue vnto them that be not lernyd ne can not dyscerne wysedom fro folye. Th[=e]ne emonge whom there was an excellent doctour of dyuynyte in the royame of fraunce of the ordre of thospytal of Saynt Johns of Jherusalem which entended the fame and hath made a...
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T his booke conteyneth .iiii. traytees/ The first traytee is of the Invencion of this playe of the chesse,/ and conteyneth .iii. chapitres The first chapitre is under what kynge this play was founden The .ii. chapitre/ who fonde this playe The .iii. chapitre/ treteth of .iii. causes why hit was made and founden The second traytee treteth of the chesse men/ and conteyneth .v. chapitres The first chapitre treteth of the form of a kynge and of suche thinges as apperteyn to a kynge The .ii. chapitre treteth of y'e quene & her forme & maners The .iii. chapitre of the forme of the alphins and her offices and maners The .iiii. chapitre is of the knyght and of his offices The .v. is of the rooks and of their maners and offices The thirde traytee is of the offices of the comyn peple And hath .viii. chapitres The...
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battlefield A monge all the euyll condicions and signes that may be in a man the first and y'e grettest is whan he feereth not/ ne dredeth to displese and make wroth god by synne/ and the peple by lyuyng disordynatly/ whan he reccheth not/ ner taketh hede unto them that repreue hym and his vices/ but fleeth them/ In suche wyse as dide the emperour Nero/ whiche dide do slee his maister seneque For as moche as he might not suffre to be repreuid and taught of hym In lyke wyse was somtyme a kynge in babiloine that was named Evilmerodach a Jolye man with oute Justice and so cruell that he dyde do hewe his faders body in thre honderd pieces/ And gaf hit to ete and deuour to thre honderd birdes that men calle wultres And was of suche condicion as was Nero/ And right well resemblid...
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King T 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 & enbelysshith the body/ the same wise vertues maketh the sowle/ he ought alleway thenke on the gouernement of the Royame and who hath thadmynystracion of Justice/ And thys shuld be by hym self pryncipally. This signefieth the appell of gold that he holdeth in his lyfte...
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labourers and werkemen F For as moche as the Noble persone canne not rewle ne gouerne with oute y'e seruyce and werke of the peple/ than hit behoueth to deuyse the oeuurages and the offices of the werkemen/ Than I shall begynne fyrst at the fyrst pawne/ that is in the playe of the chesse/ And signefieth a man of the comyn peple on fote For they be all named pietous that is as moche to saye as footemen And than we wyll begynne at the pawne whiche standeth to fore the rooke on the right side of the kinge for as moche as this pawne apperteyneth to serue the vicaire or lieutenant of the kynge and other officers vnder hym of necessaryes of vitayll/ And this maner a peple is figured and ought to be maad in the forme & shappe of a man holdynge in his ryght hande...
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chesse board Z 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...
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A Aas; ace. Aduocacions; Latin advocationis , assembly of advocates, the bar. Agaynesaynge; gain-saying. Alphyns. The alphin, or elephant, was the piece answering to the bishop in the modern game of chess. Ameruaylled; astonished. Ample, ampole; Latin ampulla , vessel for holding liquids. Ancellys; Latin ancilla , handmaids, concubines. Appertly; openly. Appetissid; satisfied, satiated. Ardautly [ardantly]; ardently. Arrache; French arracher , to pull, to pluck. Auenture; adventure. Axe; ask. Barate; trouble, suffering. Beaulte; beauty. Benerous; French bénir , blessed. Besaunt; besant, a Byzantine gold coin. Beneurte; French bonheur , good fortune. Bole; bull. Bourdellys; brothels, stews. Butters; freebooters. Butyn; French butin , plunder, spoils. Chamberyer; Chambrere; woman servant, concubine. Chequer; chefs-board. Chauffed; French échauffer , to warm. Compaignon; French compagnon , companion. Connynge; cunning, knowledge. Corrompith; French corrompre , to corrupt. Couenable; French convenable , proper, fit. Courrours; French coureurs , runners, messengers. Curatours; guardians, trustees. Dampned; condemned. Debonairly;...