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since the policy of that people is to exclude females from every kind and degree of influence and power, whereas the queen at chess is a powerful and important piece."

"You must not lay too much stress upon the names of the several pieces," observed the major, "since they have varied in different ages and countries. The castle is sometimes called the rook, from the Italian word rocca, which signifies a fortress placed on a rock: the piece which we call the bishop has been termed by English writers alphan, aufin, &c., from an Arabic word signifying an elephant; sometimes it was named an archer; by the Germans, the hound, or runner; by Russians and Swedes, the elephant; by Poles, the priest; and by the French, at a very early period, the fou or fool; the reason of this last appellation seems to be, that, as this piece stands on the sides of the king and queen, some wag of the times styled it the fool, because anciently royal personages were commonly thus attended, from want of other means of amusing themselves."

"You cannot thus account for our term bishop," observed Mr Seymour, "as our kings and queens have never had such attendants." "Nor is it very easy to ascertain the period at which it was introduced," replied the major; "in Caxton's time it was styled the elphyn. I should think it probable that the change of name took place after the Reformation."

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"It is probable that the pieces not only underwent changes in name, but changes in value or power," observed Mr Seymour, game descended through different ages and countries."

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Mrs Beacham, who had been for some time listening with much interest to the curious discourse we have just related, here ventured to ask a question: "As you appear to have taken some trouble to ascertain the origin of this game, you can perhaps inform me at what period it was introduced into England."

The major replied, that the learned Hyde supposed it to have been first known in our country about the time of the Conquest; but that Mr Barrington believed it to have been introduced during the thirteenth century, upon the return of Edward I. from the Holy Land, where he continued so long, and was attended by so many English.

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"It is certain that our ancestors played much at chess before the general introduction of cards,” observed the vicar, as no fewer than twenty-six English families have emblazoned chess-boards and chessrooks in their arms, and it must therefore have been considered a valuable accomplishment."

"Cards," observed the major, "must have been known in England previous to the time of Edward IV., since a statute was passed in that reign against their importation; but they did not become general for many years, and the progress of the custom appears to have been extremely slow."

"Check,—and mate!" exclaimed Mr Seymour.

"Upon my word, I have lost the game. Mr Twaddleton, I lay this to your account," said the major; “you ought not, Sir, to have intruded your antiquarian discussions at such a time."

*

"You have lost the game, major, because, like Charles XII. of Sweden, you are too fond of advancing your king: but it is quite natural that you should feel mortified by your defeat: a chess-warrior never likes to be beat, because it is a trial of skill and address; chance has no place, and he therefore never loses except from the superiority of his adversary. You may remember that William the Conqueror, upon being check-mated by the Prince of France, knocked the chessboard about his pate, an event which became the source of much future enmity. I must say," continued the vicar, "that this, in my view of the matter, is an imperfection in the game: for if it be the type or representative of a military campaign, fortune should have some share in deciding the fate of the day; and, if I remember correctly, Sir William Jones has stated that the use of dice, to regulate the moves, was formerly introduced in the East."

"I will give the major his revenge whenever he pleases," said Mr Seymour; "but as I well know how dearly the vicar loves an antiquarian anecdote, if he will listen I will furnish him with one that will be probably new to him. Do you observe the form of the chessboard, resembling, as you perceive, two folio volumes? The origin of it was this: Endes, bishop of Sully, forbade his clergy to play at chess. As they were resolved, however, not to obey the command, and yet did not dare to have a chess-board seen in their houses or cloisters, they had them bound and lettered as books, and called them their wooden gospels. These same monks had also drinking-vessels bound to resemble the breviary, and were found drinking when it was supposed they were at prayers.”

* Voltaire tells us that Charles XII. always lost the game at chess, from his eagerness to move his king, and to

make greater use of him than of any of the other pieces.

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NEVER had the rosy fingers of Aurora shown so much reluctance in unbarring the gates of the East as on the morning of the Osterley Jubilee; at least, so thought some score of peasants, who, fevered by anxiety and expectation, had arisen from their beds long before the break of day.

At length, however, the sun arose; but, indignant no doubt at the accusations he had so unjustly suffered, he shortly veiled his fiery countenance in dark and lowering clouds. Here, then, was a fresh source of doubt and anxiety; would the day be rainy? The gardener at Overton Lodge was immediately sought and consulted; and, cheering as were his predictions, they scarcely succeeded in dispelling the gloom which shaded many a fair countenance. The apprehension of disappointment was, however, suddenly relieved; for between nine and ten o'clock the sun reappeared, beaming in all his glory, and shedding the brightest refulgence on the scene of the approaching festivities. At this period hundreds of villagers, dressed in their holiday attire, were seen pouring along the high road, or winding

their way through the verdant valleys. So admirable had been the arrangements for the admission of the populace into the park, that, great as was the concourse of spectators, not the slightest impediment occurred during their entrance.

At half-past ten o'clock the whole population of the country had assembled; the various performers were on their respective stages; and the arrival of Major Snapwell and his guests was eagerly expected, as a signal for the commencement of the festivities of the day.

At length a distant murmur was heard in the direction of the house, which gradually increased as it approached the meadow, until it swelled into one grand and universal chorus. The vicar appeared with his wand of office, which he no sooner waved in the air than the murmur gradually subsided. Major Snapwell and his friends, Harry Beacham and his bride, and the Seymours with their children, and numerous visitors, followed. The several bands, stationed on the platforms erected before the show-booth, simultaneously struck up the national anthem, in which the whole multitude joined, and produced a most surprising and thrilling effect.

There were eight booths appropriated to the several exhibitions; and it had been arranged that each should commence at the same time, and repeat its performances eight times during the day; so that by dividing the spectators into eight groups, and delivering to each person a ticket distinguished by a particular number, every spectator at once knew the booth into which he was to enter; and having witnessed the exhibition, he was directed to exchange his ticket; by which means every chance of confusion was avoided, and each person was enabled to witness, successively, every performance.

The vicar and the party entered the first booth, and were followed by all those whose tickets were distinguished by No. 1; those of No. 2 at the same time entered the second booth, and so on.

The first show was appropriated to the various exhibitions of vaulting, tumbling, balancing, and rope-dancing.

During the performances of the balancer, Tom Seymour's attention was riveted on the artist; he watched every movement, and examined its effect in preserving the centre of gravity within the base; he attentively followed every change of position, and discovered the effect of such changes upon the line of direction.* As to the wire dancing, Tom observed that he saw very plainly the swinging of the wire backwards and forwards diminished the difficulty, and assisted the actor in keeping his equipoise.

"See, see!" exclaimed Louisa, "how very extraordinary! I declare that the plate, sword, key, and tobacco-pipe, are all balanced as they revolve on the chin of the performer."

* See page 53.

"And do you not know, Louisa," replied Tom, "that the revolution of the plate and sword, which appears to render the execution so much more astonishing, actually diminishes the difficulty of the performance ?" *

Thus did Tom Seymour continue to point out successively the philosophical principles upon which each of the tricks might be supposed to depend.

“Ladies and gentlemen," said the artist, “I shall next have the honour to exhibit, for the first time in public, a most wonderful triumph in the art of balancing; an equilibrium which has hitherto been deemed impracticable, since the utmost skill and perseverance have for ages failed to accomplish it. It is no less than a solution of that problem which Columbus denounced as impossible by the very stratagem he employed to evade it. It is to make an egg stand upon one end!! I have here the egg of a hen, and I shall send it round in order that you may be satisfied there is no deception,-that the shell is entire, and has not in any way been tampered with. While this examination is proceeding, I will remind my friends of the anecdote to which I just now alluded :-On the return of Columbus from his first voyage, numerous banquets were given him by the nobility; at one of which a shallow courtier, envious of his honours, abruptly asked him whether he thought that, in case he had not discovered the Indies, there would have been wanting men in Spain capable of the enterprise. To this Columbus made no direct reply, but taking an egg, invited the company to make it stand on one end. Every one attempted it, but in vain; whereupon he struck it upon the table, broke one end, and left it standing on the broken part; illustrating, in this simple manner, that, when he had once shown the way to the new world, nothing was easier than to follow it. Now, I trust, ladies and gentlemen, you are satisfied by your inspection that I have not broken nor altered the natural surface of the shell, and yet you shall see I can balance it on its broader end."

The professor then, after some moments engaged in the adjustment, achieved his object, to the astonishment of all present.

"It really does surprise me, for I feel satisfied the egg was fairly balanced without any preparation of the shell," said Mr Seymour. "I do not exactly understand why it should be considered so next to impossible to make the egg stand on end," observed Tom.

"The difficulty consists in our inability so to regulate the centre of gravity of the egg as to keep the line of direction + within the point upon which we attempt to poise it. This would be sufficiently difficult with a body uniformly solid, and of the same shape; but the fact of its interior being a moveable liquid increases the difficulty to the highest possible amount."

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