stoical philosophy must have had a special appropriateness for those
times of political storm and stress, when the fickleness of fortune must
have been a matter of only too common repute. Guido Colonna was elected
by his admiring brethren the general of the order in 1292, and took up
his residence at Bourges, its metropolitan seat.

In this honourable office he continued his literary labours, and to this
period are assigned the greater part of his numerous works. He died at
Avignon in 1316. His body was translated to Paris, where his effigy in
black marble, with his epitaph, remained until the French
revolution.[19] It would be superfluous to enumerate his philosophical
writings, for they would have no interest in the present day. His
commentary on Aristotle "De Anima," it may be observed, was dedicated to
Edward I. His name is now chiefly remembered because his work on the
rule of princes formed the basis of the treatise in which Jacques de
Cessoles moralized the fashionable game of the chess.

One interesting instance of the popularity of Colonna's work is the
translation of it made into English verse by Thomas Occleve.[20] He
wrote it in 1411 or 1412, and its object was to obtain the payment of an
annuity from the exchequer which had been granted to him, but the
payment of which was very irregular. The book was dedicated to the
Prince of Wales. After mentioning his purpose to translate from the
(apocryphal) letter of Aristotle to Alexander and "Gyles of Regement of
Prynces," he proceeds:--

"There is a booke, Jacob de Cessoles,
Of the ordre of Prechours, made, a worthy man,

That the Chesse moralisede clepede is,