neighbour of his stat, and be a thef, and ravissh þat wher he may,
þen he is ytake, and put in to the p_re_son of helle. The secund,
f_cil_. alphyn, renneth iij. poyntes both vpward and douneward; [he]
betokenyth wise men, the whiche by deceyuable eloquence & takyng of
money deceyueth, & so he is made oonly. The iij. _scil._ þe kny3t,
hath iij. poyntes, & goth þ_er_with; [he] betokenyth gentilmen
þat rennyth aboute, & ravisshith, and ioyeth for her kynrede, &
for habundaunce of richesse. The fourth, s_cil._ þe rook, he
holdith length & brede, and takith vp what so is in his way; he
betokenyth okerers and false m_er_chaunt3, þat rennyth aboute ouer
all, for wynnyng & lucre, & rechith not how thei geten, so that thei
haue hit. The fifthe is þe quene, that goth fro blak to blak, or
fro white to white, and is yset befide þe kyng, and is ytake fro
the kyng. This quene bytokenyth virgyns and damesels, þat goth fro
chastite to synne, and beth ytake by the devill, for glovis or such
man_e_r yiftis. The vj. is to whom all owe to obey and mynystre; and
he goth forth, and bakward ayen, & in either side, & takith ouer all;
so sone discendith in to þe world, and ascendith to god by
praiers; But when he takith [no] kepe of god, and hath no meyne,
þan is hit to þe man chekmate. And þ_er_fore let vs not
charge of oure estatis, no more þan is w_i_t_h_ þe men, when
þei be put vp in þe poket; then hit is no charge who be above
or who be byneth; and so by the Spirit of loulynesse we may come to
þe ioy of heven. And þat graunt vs, _qui viuit_ &c."

It is not, therefore, surprising to learn that Jacques de Cessoles found
texts for sundry sermons on the game that formed so favourite a
diversion of clergy and laity. The favour with which these discourses
were received no doubt gratified the worthy Dominican father. At the
request of some of those who heard them he began to write down the