Early English versions of the Gesta Romanorum / edited by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

[ XXI. ]
ANTONIUS THE EMPEROURE.
(THE MORAL OF THE GAME OF CHESS.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 161, back, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

ANtonius was a wys emperour̛ regnyng in the cite of Rome, the which vsid moche to pley with houndis; and aftir þat pley, aƚƚ þe day aftir he wolde vse þe chesse. So yn a day, as he pleide at þe chesse, & byheld̛ the kyng sette yn the pley, som tyme hy and som tyme lowe, among aufyns and pownys, he thougℏt þerwitℏ þat hit wold̛ be so with him, for he shuld̛ dey, and be hid vndir ertℏ. And þerfore he devided his Reame in thre parties; and he yaf oo part to þe kyng of Ierusalem; þe secunde part vnto þe lordis of̘ his Reame or his empire; and the thrid partie vnto the pore people; & yede him self̘ vnto the holy londe, and ther̛ he endid his lyf̘ in peas.

MORALITE.

[leaf 161, back, col. 2]

Seth now, good sirs; this emperour̛, þat lovith so wele play, may be called̛ eche worldly man̛ þat occupieth him in vanytes of the world̛; but he moste take kepe of̘ the pley of̘ the chesse, as did the emperoure. the chekir or þe chesse hath viij. poyntes in eche partie. In euery pley beth viij. kyndes of men̛, scil. man, woman̛, wedewer, wedowis, lewid men̛, clerkes, riche men, and pouere men̛. at this pley pleieth vj. men̛. the first man̛, þat goth afore, hath not but oo poynt, but whenne he goth aside, he takith anoþer; so by a pouere man̛; he hath not, but when he comytℏ to þe detℏ witℏ pacience, þen shaƚƚ he be a kyng in heuen̛, with þe kyng of pore men̛. But if̘ he grucche ayenst his neighbour̛ of his stat, and be a thef̘, and ravissh þat wher̛ he may, þen he is ytake, and put in to the preson̛ of helle. The secund, scil. alphyn̛, renneth iij. poyntes both vpward̛ and douneward̛; [he] bytokenyth wise men̛, the whiche by deceyuable eloquence & takyng of money deceyueth, & so he is made oonly. The iij. scil. þe knyȝt, hath iij. poyntes, & goth þerwitℏ; [he] betokenytℏ gentilmen þat rennyth aboute, & ravisshith, and ioyetℏ for her kynrede, & for habundaunce of richesse. The fourtℏ, scil. þe rook, he holdith length & brede, and takith vp what so is in his way; he betokenytℏ okerers and false merchauntȝ, þat rennyth aboute ouer aƚƚ, for wynnyng & lucre, & rechitℏ not how thei geten̛, so that thei haue hit. The fifthe is þe quene, that goth fro blak to blak, or fro white to white, and is yset beside þe kyng, and is ytake fro the kyng. This quene bytokenyth virgyns and damesels, þat goth fro chastite to synne, and beth ytake by the deviƚƚ, for glovis or sucℏ maner yiftis. The vj. is to whom aƚƚ owe to obey and mynystre; and he gotℏ forth, and bakward̛ ayen̛, & in either side, & takith ouer aƚƚ; so sone discenditℏ in to þe world̛, and ascendith to god by praiers; But when he takith [no] kepe of god, and hatℏ no meyne, þan is hit to þe man chekmate. And þerfore let vs not charge of oure estatis, no more þan is with þe men̛, when þei be put vp in þe poket; then hit is no charge who be above or who be bynetℏ and so by the Spirit of̘

loulynesse we may come to þe ioy of heven̛. And þat graunt vs, qui vivit &c.