Act 5 — A GAME AT CHESS.
Reading edition
303Of A Game at Chess I have seen three different editions, all 4to, n. d. To two of them, abounding in the grossest errors, is prefixed the engraved title-page, of which a fac-simile is given in the present work. The other edition, which is comparatively very correct, and which I have therefore made the basis of my text (designating it in the notes as Quarto C.), has also an engraved title-page, but less curious and containing fewer figures than that above mentioned.[506]
Mr. J. P. Collier possesses a letter-press title-page of the play, “Printed 1625,” belonging to some edition of which, I believe, no copies are known to exist.
A MS. of A Game at Chess, dated 1624, is in the British Museum (Lansdown, 690); and another, imperfect, in the library at Bridgewater House: I have collated both for the present edition.
This allegorical and political drama was brought on the stage in 1624; and its production forms a memorable incident in the author’s life: see Account of Middleton and his Writings.
Two of the most important characters in the play are the Black-Knight, that is, Gondonmar the Spanish ambassador, and the Fat Bishop, that is, Antonio de Dominis. The story of the latter is thus concisely related by Hume: “The famous Antonio di Dominis, Archbishop of Spalato, no despicable philosopher, came likewise into England [in 1616], and afforded great triumph to the nation by their gaining so considerable a proselyte from the papists. But the mortification followed soon after. For the Archbishop, though advanced to some ecclesiastical preferments, received not encouragement sufficient to satisfy his ambition, and he made his escape into Italy [in 1622], where soon after he died in confinement.” Hist. of England, vol. vi. p. 136, ed. 1763. Such particulars concerning Antonio as were necessary for the illustration 304of the text will be found in my notes. That he was a man of a restless spirit, vain, ambitious, and avaricious, is no more to be doubted than that his talents and acquirements were of a superior order.
The White King and the Black King represent, I presume, the respective monarchs of England and Spain (see Secretary Conway’s letter in Account of Middleton and his Writings); and the White Queen’s Pawn seems intended to stand for the Church of England.
305THE PICTURE PLAINLY EXPLAINED AFTER THE
MANNER OF THE CHESS-PLAY.
A Game at Chess is here display’d,
Between the Black and White House made,
Wherein crown-thirsting policy
For the Black House, by fallacy,
To the White Knight check often gives,
And to some straits him thereby drives;
The Fat Black Bishop helps also,
With faithless heart, to give the blow:
Yet, maugre all their craft, at length
The White Knight, with wit-wondrous strength
And circumspective prudency,
Gives check-mate by discovery
To the Black Knight: and so at last,
The Game thus won, the Black House cast
Into the Bag, and therein shut,
Find all their plumes and cocks-combs cut.
Plain dealing thus, by wisdom’s guide,
Defeats the cheats of craft and pride.
306
PROLOGUE.
What of the game call’d Chess-play can be made
To make a stage-play, shall this day be play’d:
First, you shall see the men in order set,
States[507] and their Pawns, when both the sides are met,
The Houses well distinguish’d; in the game
Some men entrapt and taken to their shame,
Rewarded by their play; and, in the close,
You shall see check-mate given to virtue’s foes:
But the fair’st jewel that our hopes can deck,
Is so to play our game t' avoid your check.
307DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.
White King. Black King.
White Knight. Black Knight.
White Duke. Black Duke.
White Bishop. Black Bishop.
Pawns. Pawns.
Fat Bishop.
His Pawn.
White Queen. Black Queen.
Her Pawn. Her Pawn.
IN THE INDUCTION.
Ignatius Loyola.
Error.
309A GAME AT CHESS.
INDUCTION.
Error discovered asleep: enter Ignatius Loyola.
Ign. Ha! where? what angle[508] of the world is this,
That I can neither see the politic face,
Nor with my refin’d nostrils taste[509] the footsteps
Of any my disciples, sons and heirs
As well of my designs as institution?
I thought they had spread over the world by this time,
Cover’d the earth’s face, and made dark the land,
Like the Egyptian grasshoppers.
Here’s too much light appears, shot from the eyes
Of Truth and Goodness never yet deflower’d:
Sure they were never here; then is their monarchy
Unperfect yet; a just reward, I see,
For their ingratitude so long to me,
Their father and their founder.
’Tis not five years since I was sainted by ’em:
Where slept mine honour all the time before?
Could they be so forgetful to canonize
Their prosperous institutor? when they had sainted me,
They found no room in all their calendar
To place my name, that should have remov’d princes,
Pull’d the most eminent prelates by the roots up
For my dear coming, to make way for me;
Let every petty martyr and saint homily,
And but for the bissextile or leap-year,
And that’s but one in three. I fall by chance
Into the nine-and-twentieth day of February;
There were no room else for me: see their love,
Their conscience too, to thrust me a lame soldier[519]
Into leap-year! My Wrath’s up, and, methinks,
I could with the first syllable of my name
Blow up their colleges.—Up, Error, wake!
Father of supererogation, rise!
It is Ignatius calls thee, Loyola.
311Error. What have you done? O, I could sleep in ignorance
Immortally, the slumber is so pleasing!
I saw the bravest setting for a game now
That ever mine eye fix’d on.
Ign. What game, prithee?
Error. The noblest game of all, a game at chess,
Betwixt our side and the White House; the men set
In their just order, ready to go to’t.
Ign. Were any of my sons plac’d for the game?
Error. Yes, and a daughter too; a secular daughter
That plays the Black Queen’s Pawn, he the Black Bishop’s.
Ign. If ever power could shew a mastery[520] in thee,
Let it appear in this!
Error. ’Tis but a dream,
A vision, you must think.
Ign. I care not what,
So I behold[521] the children of my cunning,
And see what rank they keep.
Error. You have your wish:
Music: enter severally, in order of the game, the White and Black Houses.
Behold, there’s the full number of the game,
Kings and their Pawns, Queens, Bishops, Knights, and Dukes.
Ign. Dukes? they’re call’d Rooks by some.
Error. Corruptedly;
312The keeper of the forts, in whom both Kings
Repose much confidence; and for their trust-sake,
Courage, and worth, do well deserve those titles.
Ign. The answer’s high: I see my son and daughter.[524]
Error. Those are two Pawns, the Black Queen’s and Black[525] Bishop’s.
Ign. Pawns argue but poor spirits and slight performents,[526]
Nor worthy of the name of my disciples:
If I had stood so nigh, I would have cut
That Bishop’s throat but I'd have had his place,
And told the Queen a love-tale in her ear
Would make her best pulse dance: there’s no elixir
Of brain or spirit amongst ’em.
Error. Why, would you have them play against themselves?
That’s quite against the rule of game, Ignatius.
Ign. Pish, I would rule myself, not observe rule.
Error. Why, then, you’d play a game all by yourself.
Ign. I would do any thing to rule alone:
’Tis rare to have the world reign’d in by one.[527]
Error. See ’em anon, and mark ’em in their play;
Observe, as in a dance, they glide away. [Exeunt the two Houses.
Ign. O, with what longings will this breast be tost,
Until I see this great game won and lost! [Exeunt.
313