this Kind would be delicate and agreeable. Every Man does his best against his Antagonist. Nobody ever plays crimp, or indulges even his Patron, or his beft Friend, with a Victory to please him, and give him an imaginary Triumph.

I can give but one Inftance of a Piece of Adulation of this Kind. A Gentleman very well known and esteem'd, who plaid excellently well at Chefs, got a very good Employment by fuffering himself to be beat by a first Minifter, in the late Reign; yet He has often told me that He thought He paid very dear for his Place. He complain'd that his paffive Submiffion, in this Point, was criminal, fhameful and difhonourable. However, faid He, fince my Family, my Friends and Relations were of another Opinion, I found myself obliged to fubmit, and eat on thofe Terms.

They tell us a Story of two Perfons of Diftinction, (the one lived at Madrid, the other at Rome) who plaid a Game at Chefs, at that Distance. They began, when They were young, and though They both lived to a very old Age, Tradition tells us that the Game was very far from being finifh'd. The first of these Gentlemen, who died, appointed his Executor to go on with the Game; and if we confider the Distance, at which thefe Gamefters lived, though They kept Couriers conftantly going to convey their Correfpondence, we fhould not wonder, tho' the Game is not finish'd at this Hour, which began perhaps an hundred Years ago. Their Method, it feems, was This. Each Don kept a Chefs-board, with the Pieces ranged in exact Order, in their respective Cabinets at Madrid and Rome; and having agreed who fhould move first, the Don informs his Playfellow the Signior at Rome, by Letter, that he had moved his King's Pawn two Moves; the Courier returns, with all imaginable Dispatch; and advifes his Antagonist, that the Minute after he had the Honour to receive his, he likewife moved his King's Pawn two Paces; and fo They went on.

But

But however This may be, Sir, it is most certain that this Play is an Exercife of the Underftanding. It is a Contention who has the most folid Brain; who can lay the deepest and the wifeft Designs. It is therefore rarely known that a Perfon of great Vivacity and Quickness, or one of very flow Parts, is a Mafter of this Game.

I will detain you no longer, but give you an Account, as exactly as I am able, of the feveral Motions and Powers of the Pieces, employ'd in the Game of CHESS.

The Names of the Pieces are, the KING, the QUEEN, a BISHOP, a KNIGHT, a Rook and a PAWN.

The chief Perfonage, except the KING, as you may eafily conceive, is the QUEEN.But fhe has infinitely more Power than her royal Confort. Her Dominion is very extenfive. She traverses the whole Board from one Square to the other; and has all the Motions of every Piece, except the KNIGHT; his Motion being continually indirect, or oblique. He is, indeed, the only Character, that always profeffes to act by Stratagem, or Fraud; but his Motion being particular, he must be a very bad Player, who does not guard againft him.

The next in Quality to the QUEEN is the BISHOP, who always takes Poft on the Side of HER MAJESTY, or the KING. This prelatical Piece of Wood is of very little Ufe in the Beginning of a Game; and He is by his Profeffion obliged never to move upon the Square, as even the Rooks and PAWNS do; for which Reason, he marches cross the Board from Angle to Angle. At the Close of a Game, he is of fome little Ufe, tho' he feldom gives Check to the KING, and is rarely known to act, without the Affiftance of the KNIGHT, or the QUEEN. He is, indeed, often used to fupport, by his Prefence, any Design, or Enterprize They undertake, of what Nature or Kind foever it may be. The BISHOPS,

indeed,

indeed, at this Game are of fuch indifferent Account, that in your old Chefs-Boards they are always defcribed as Fools, and diftinguish'd accordingly with long Ears and Bells.

The next Nobleman, who takes Place by the Side of the BISHOP, is the KNIGHT. We have already noted his Motions to be always indirect; yet He does a great deal of Execution by Surprize, and is extremely dreaded by the common People, or the Pawns. You may often see Him jump over the Heads of the Nobles, and thin the Ranks of the Plebeians, whofe profeffed and inveterate Enemy He is. When He is guarded by the Queen, He makes dreadful Havock, and very often check-mates the KING. This is done, by forcing his Majefty into fuch a Situation, that He is as it were lock'd up, and render'd quite incapable of moving one Way or other, without being immediately taken Prifoner by fome other Piece. But fuch is the Regard to Majefty, that, by the Laws of the Play, whenever This happens, the Game is quite over. Both Parties ceafe at once from Action; and the Conqueror fays only the Word, Mate; the Inventors of this ingenious Diverfion imagining, as I fuppofe, that a King, lock'd up and render'd quite incapable of acting, was the fame as no King at all; and yet at the fame Time, to fhew their most dutiful Regard to Royalty, They rather chose to close the Game, than by continuing it be obliged to declare what Measures were to be taken at fo melancholly a Crifis.

The Perfon, who takes Poft in the Corner of the Board next to the Knight, is call'd a Rook, which feems to be a Mifnomer; fince on all the old Boards he is call'd a Caftle, or Tower of Defence; this Rook, quite contrary to Perfons of that Denomination in real Life, acting always upon the Square. He is of great Ufe in the Clofe of a Game, when the King is in Danger of being check-mated, or lock'd up; then I have feen thefe Pieces do eminent Service, and refcue

their

their Prince in the laft Extremity. Such likewise is the Power and Capacity of thefe Pieces, that I have heard very skilful Players declare They thought two Rooks to be equal to a Queen.

In the Front of King, Queen and Nobles, is placed the whole Body of the PAWNS, or Commonalty, as their beft, immediate and most natural Guard. Their Motions, like the Rooks, are upon the Square; and if They are well conducted, They are fure of Succefs. You may behold Them, when They are properly fupported, break into the Ranks of the Enemy's Infantry; push thro' a whole Battalia of Nobles, and take a vacant Seat in the upper Houfe. From this Time They are call'd by the Name of the Noblemen, whofe Places They fill, and frequently do eminent Service to the Publick. Some of thefe Pawns, or Commoners, even when They act only in that Capacity, fhew uncommon Forefight and Sagacity, and defeat the Defigns of a Knight, or a Bishop, with great Addrefs and Dexterity. They have often defcry'd their dark Purposes at a Distance, and by their Courage and Ingenuity bravely rescued Themfelves from the Dangers, with which They were threaten'd. I have known Them fometimes march with great Difcipline and Order, even till They had almoft inclofed the Enemy, and then They have obliged Them to break their own Ranks, and fubmit with great Lofs and Difgrace to the Force of a Scheme, form'd long before, to reduce Them; but then They must be led by very knowing and experienced Generals; for the leaft falfe Step in an Enterprize of this Kind may prove of very bad Confequence.

Thus, Mr. D'Anvers, I have fent you a faithful Account of the Motions of the Pieces in the Game of Chess. If you think fit to publifh it, and it fhould happen to be well received, I will endeavour in a little Time to entertain the Publick, by your Means, with an Account of the Game of POLISH DRAUGHTS; where you will fee the whole Board engaged in the important Bufinefs

Business of making KINGS There you may observe the whole Art of Intrigue and Bribery, Fraud and Force. This is a Game of fome Skill, but more confused and irregular than That of Chefs; as you will obferve, when I open it at largc.

R.

1 am, SIR, &c.

N° 377. SATURDAY, Sept. 22, 1733.

I

Have lately read a little Piece, intitled, the Freehol der's political Catechifm; and as the Duty to our Country is next to our Duty to God, I think it ought to be pread into as many Hands as poffible, at this Juncture. I fhall therefore prefent my Country Readers with thofe Parts of it, which relate immediately to the British Conftitution, and the Liberty of the Subject.

Extracts from the FREEHOLDER'S POLITICAL CATECHISM.

W

QUESTION.

HO are You?

"Answer, I am T. M. a Freeholder "of Great Britain.

66

Q. What Privilege enjoy Thou by being a Freeholder of Great Britain? "A. By being a Freeholder of Great “Britain, I am a greater Man in my civil Capacity than the greatest Subject of an arbitrary Prince; be"caufe I am govern'd by Laws, to which I give my "Confent; and iny Life, Liberty, and Goods cannot "be taken from me, but according to thofe Laws. I 46 am a Freeman, VOL. XI.

"Q. Whe