Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-09-11
Chess.

much for many peoples nerves to support
with impunity. The Gar, John the Terrible,
died in 1884 of an apoplectic fit, while play
ing chess with one of his courtiers. Lord
Harver, in No. 81 of the Craftsman, says
that, although chess is not usually PLAYED for
stake, nobody is Indifferent about winning
or losing; and that it is very rare for warm
tempered people ever to become good players.
CLAUS Magnus, Archbishop of Upsala, died
1860, holds that hidden tendencies to anger,
impatience, vanity, avarice, and other failings
are brought out by the game of chess; and
it is for that reason that the mobiles of Goth
land and Sweden, before bestowing their
daughters in marriage, have the custom of
trying, principally by chess, tho temper of
the suitors who present themselves.
Sume amateurs of nervous constitution
cannot sleep after hard fought game; Others
when the decisive move approaches, are
seized with feverish agitation. Some are so
impressed with the contest, that, next day,
they could go over every move again.
Quntilan relates that Scaevola after losing
game of chess started for the country. On
the way he went over in his head every move
he had made in the game, and so discovered
the error which had caused his defeat. He
returned and found his opponent, who ack~
nowledged the perfect accuracy of his memory
AS precautionary measure, to keep their
heads clear and their tempers cool, Carrera,
in his ''Avvertimenti," recommends chess
players to eat sparingly, and to take aperient
medicine before setting to work in serious
contest.
Defeats at chess are not easily either for
gotten or forgiven. Leonardo di Cutri was
poisoned in Caabria, by rival, at the age
OF torty-sIx, while on visit to the Prince of
Bisignano. A Spanish nobleman, who had
for some time been in the habit of playing
with Philip II, used to win every game One
day, when their chess playing had terminated
IN the customary result, he perceived that
the king was excessively annoyed IF the
fact took him by surprise, his stock of common
sense must have been but small. On reaching
his home he said to his family:-'My dear
children, we may we'll pack up and take
ourselves off at once. This is no longer
place for us, for the king has fallen into
violent rage because he could not beat me
at chess"
Richer, monk of Senones, in his "History
of his Abbey" relates that Farrand, Count
of Flanders, always ill-treated his wife when
she played chess with him and won. One
sort of beating involved another. The battle
of Bouvines (July II, 1214) was the conse>
quence of game thus ungallantly concluded,
in which battle the Count was made prisoner.
brought to Paris, ironed hand and foot and
shut up in the tower of the Louvre. The
Countess Jeanne (Who was the daughter of
the Emperor of Constantinople, and ward of
Philip Augustus) was consequently left to
govern her dominions all her own way, and
to have her quiet game of chess with more
amiable adversary.
One is unwilling to question King Canute's
magnanimity, after his famous rebuke of his
l,,kl l. i
less proof against the excitements of chess
than the Establishments of aattery. While
playing with the Count Ulf, the King made
a great mistake, in consequence of which the
Count took one of his knights. The King
would not allow this, but replaced the piece,
insisting that Count should make different
move. The latter got angry, upset the chess
board, and retired. 'Ulf," shouted the King
after him, ''you are acoward; you run away"
The Count returned to the door, and au-
swered, 'You would have run away into the
river Hegla, in very different style; if I had
not come to your assistance when the Swedes
were beating you like a dog. You did not
call me coward then" With these words he
walked off, and the next day the King had
him put to death.
An Italian village priest was in the habit
OF playing with a neighbor, who never would
allow himself to be Beaten, although he lost
five games out of six. To convince him that
such was really the case, the priest rang the
alarm bell of his parsonage, summonine in
that way his parishi0ners, to make them UNI
Pires of the dispute. AS the same trick was
frequently repeated, his flock got tired of the
proceeding, and took no further notice Of the
summons.
One day his house did catch fire. The
priest rang his alarm bell in vain. NOBODY
came, and when he complained, he was told
that people could not leave their household
affairs for the sake of a trumpery game of
chess "Alas" he said, '.this time [ PLAYED
chess with the FIRE, and the fire has check
mated me-"
The jealousics excited by chess have often
been accompanied by mystery. The Presi-
dent Nicolai, who passed for the best chess
player OF his time in France, was one day
visited by stranger, who had travelled sixty
leagues Ga considerable distance them to
challenge him The chess board was brought
and Mccall was beaten, The unknown VIC
tor would neither play second game nor
make known who he was
Finally, monkeys have been trained to play
chess-doubtless in the same way as learned
pigs have been taught to SPELL The crea-
ture, obsyiDg an imperceptible signal from
his master, made the indicated move The
animal was really no more than what the ar
| tifcial Turk of the chess automaton was to
the human player concealed beneath it.
The Importance to the South of the
overthrow of the Radicals by the Northern
Conservatives at the approaching elections is