The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-15
kEEprNe MUM.
Curious specuiations ON the Origin OF the
Common Phrase.

Common Phrase.
In the fifty-third chapter of Don
Quixote" the Barber says: .'Por mi. doy
la palabra bara delante de Dios de no
decir laque veuftra mereed dixere rey
no rogue" Literally: "As for me, l
give my word before God NOS to tell
what your Worship shall sell me to king
nor to rook,n which latter clause is a
Spanish phrase meaning nobody. Shell
ton. the first English translator, in 1862.
has rendered 1t, neither to king nor to
kaiser (emperor).
The French translators say, "a roi nj
| a roc" The Dutch have rendered it,
Il shall tell il to neither cat nor king"
Yet none, not even Cervantes himself,
quoted the proverb correctly, which
should be rendered, Before God and
your Worship, I'll tell neither king,
| knight or rocks"
| | ascribe its origin to Sacchetti's
| pleasant novel of the Citrate of Valdipea,
who often played at chess with gentle
man OF his neighborhood whom he used
| to checkmate five times out OF six, not
outstanding which the gentleman
would not only allow it, but often
boosted of his score with the curate.
| One day it happened that the curate
checkmated him In the middle of the
| chess board with nothing but knight
and two rocks. This the gentleman.
ashamed and displeased. would not
allow, which the curate perceiving. ran
to the bells, which he began to ring.
The peasants, hearing the alarm ran
| -. Ss,l -,
know what was the matter. Said the
curate to them, II want you to see and
bear witness that l have given him
checkmate in the middle OF the beard
with knight and two rooks!' The
clowns began to laugh, saying Master
curate, you make us lose our time, :"
and went away. This the curate re-
peated so often that the peasants at last
paid no attention to the ringing Of the
alarm bell. At length the ctirate's
house took fire and the peasants, hear
ing the bell said one TO another, THE
curate is again playing chess; let him
ring; he had better mind his prayers. "
And so the house burned down. The
next day the peasants apologized. say
ing, I'VE thought you were playing al
chess" to which the curate answered
Il was playing at chess with the fire,
which has, given me checkmate ant
ruined me-
From this incident, doubtless, aros'
the common proverb, mon tempo da
giuocar scacchi quando la cas-;
brussia;" or in English, ut is time t.
leave off chess when a mans house il
, on fire."
The former proverb must have hat
its origin in the exclamation of the de
feated friend of the citrate: explain
, the secret of mating in the middle o
the board with only knight and tive
: rocks, and as for me, i give my wore
before God not to tell what your Wor
ship shall show me, not even to king
, knight or rocks"
+ 1t is strange that this anecdote, will
curious problem involved. should hav
been criticised in all languages and ye
stood the test of centuries before any
{ one thought of the simple and com
{ nonsense plan Of utilizing the ches
! board and finding out how to checkmat
the black king in the middle of tn
board with only knight and tw
rocks. 1t is pretty little problem. tn
a solution Of which does much towar'
explaining the exuberant spirit Of tn
, victorious curate. Chessnan, in N. J
| Is,Ta