Comic Tales and Lyrical Fancies including The Chessiad, a Mock-Heroic, in Five Cantos; and The Wreath of Love, in Four Cantos. By C. Dibdin, the Younger |
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| 4. | CANTO FOURTH. |
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 | Comic Tales and Lyrical Fancies |  |
155
CANTO FOURTH.
ARGUMENT.
To-morrow, or the next morning, compared to a maid sprinkling the doorway with her mop—More parody—The gods of game, prohibited mixing in the fray by Hazard, determine to go incog.—More rounds of the battle—Lamentable fates of the rival queens, and the grief of the widowed kings—Suspension of hostilities, to enable the monarchs to remove the bodies of their queens in solemn state—Heart-rending anguish of the chessic tribes—Put and Loo doubtful, and alarmed about their bet—They determine to mingle in the fight incog. —Are dissuaded by Pope Joan, who advises them to entreat permission of Hazard—They follow her advice and repair to the sire of gaming—Their reception—Description of Hazard's mouth—How it opens—His anger—Joan assuages it—They gain permission—How and why.
Rebecca now, as oft she had before,
Sprinkled with twirling mop her master's door;
When Hazard all the gamesters' gods conven'd,
Where the high rookery's clouds the demons screen'd;
The sire of swindlers broke dread silence through,
But what he said I know no more than you,
Further than this, the demons he forbade
The chessic field to enter or to aid;
While they, when he sat shrouded in his fog,
Resolv'd to have the frolic out incog.
Meantime his tilbury the gambling Jove
Mounted and to the zodiac circle drove;
Thence snatch'd the scules, the doubtful fate to weigh
Of chessic warfare and the furious day;
In one black iv'ry put, in t'other white,
The one prov'd heavy and the other light.
Which kick'd the beam uncertain must remain,
Till “check and triumph” finish the campaign.
Sprinkled with twirling mop her master's door;
156
Where the high rookery's clouds the demons screen'd;
The sire of swindlers broke dread silence through,
But what he said I know no more than you,
Further than this, the demons he forbade
The chessic field to enter or to aid;
While they, when he sat shrouded in his fog,
Resolv'd to have the frolic out incog.
Meantime his tilbury the gambling Jove
Mounted and to the zodiac circle drove;
Thence snatch'd the scules, the doubtful fate to weigh
Of chessic warfare and the furious day;
In one black iv'ry put, in t'other white,
The one prov'd heavy and the other light.
Which kick'd the beam uncertain must remain,
Till “check and triumph” finish the campaign.
'Twas morning now; the chessic bands took post,
Each where he stood when night dismiss'd the host,
Eager for strife.
The body guard of Blanc
Two paces moved, to where rude clangor rang.
Black Ensorex curvetted to the right,
In lateral order with his comrade knight.
In his king's square the white king's rook was seen,
Close to Rextour and facing Nigra's queen.
Rexensor's pawn from Niger's front then went
One step, to guard grim Nigra his intent;
For Blancs white body guard one step alone
Lack'd to where stood the mistress of the throne;
That step, if sovereign mandate had compell'd,
The pawn had taken and had Nigra fell'd;
But that step taken now the white king knew
Death to his body's guardian must ensue.
Now Blanc impels a soldier on his right
Forward one motion, eager to unite
His straggling infantry in solid band,
And, hence, success with vigour to command.
By Whist advis'd; who scans events in train,
Of points tenacious, and of honours vain.
Then Nigra's pawn, with one bold step, attack'd
The hors'd sir Gard'reine, who abruptly back'd,
And leapt to where a white pawn stood, between
Himself and Niger's yet inactive queen—
For, Niger's orders fated to obey,
Fix'd stood the queen, tho' fretting for the fray—
Wond'ring he leapt and blushing that he fled,
That one foot soldier struck his sould with dread;
But game's queer gods were sneaking on the lawn,
And Put attack'd him, imag'd by the pawn.
Niger observ'd the knight again to leap
Prepar'd; his eye on one spot saw him keep,
As meditating next that spot to gain,
From whence one leap had finish'd Nigra's reign;
Hence he commanded Rextour's pawn to move
One step, the knight to foil and save his love.
One move sir Gard'reine's pawn, with caution made,
The oppos'd Black pawn mov'd once, there, watching, staid.
Twice stepping, Garderoi's pawn the centre gain'd,
Where a strong line his comrade pawns maintain'd.
Niger's black knight, the centre line to force,
With eager spur impell'd his restive horse;
Stopp'd where his charger and sir Gard'reine's steed
Stood foot to foot: nor dared the knights proceed
To courted combat till obtain'd command;
There fix'd, with angry impotence they stand.
So have I seen two bull-dogs grin with spite,
Held by their masters from the ruthless fight;
Held by the neck; but yet, for sport oppos'd;
Put on, then check'd, tho' by each other nos'd;
While growling, snarling, with their eyes on fire,
Foaming, and struggling, each displays his ire;
Fruitless that ire; fierce looks from brute to brute,
Foretell dread slaughter when the time shall suit.
But Blanc to aid his bishop's pawn intent,
Who Nigra near'd, command to Gard'reine sent
To wheel with rapid course, and backward spring,
And stand two squares before the pallid king,
That Cros'roi's pawn on boldly he might push:
The hint was Loo's, t' ensure of whites a flush,
Nigra his mark, who only had for guard
A rook and man;—could these the pawn retard,
Trebly supported, had he gone his course,
Back'd by a castle, bishop, and a horse?
But Niger, watching with a lynx's eye,
Bade bold Rexensor to her rescue fly;
Facing strong Reineforte, elbowing queen Blanche,
He stands: when, like a sudden avalanche,
Huge Reineforte falls resistless on the knight,
Whose body tarries, but his soul takes flight.
Yet, lurking there, the pawn of Nigra came,
The towering rook o'erlook'd the puny game;
Yes, like the fool, who from a small wound died,
Which, deem'd as trifling, spread and mortified,
Proud Reineforte scorn'd the humble pawn, whose blade
Under the rook's fifth rib a passage made;
Th' unwieldy rook's o'erthrow pale Blanche appals,
For dread's the panic when a castle falls!
But short the time the queen on grief bestows,
The pawn stands pertly 'neath her royal nose,
And he had slain her, but the agile fair
Seiz'd the bold menial by his raven hair;
He aim'd to strike—'twas button to a boat—
She thrust her falchion down his craven throat,
Then spurn'd him off; yet honour'd was his death,
Since hands as fair as royal stopp'd his breath.
Now Regintoure, the black queen's rook, first mov'd,
And kill'd the pawn the slaughter'd Reineforte lov'd;
A maiden pawn, whom Reineforte would have wed,
But she, aspiring, ey'd a nobler bed;
And, brave as fair, if death Blanche' fate had been,
The lovely amazon bade fair for queen.
Roifort, remaining rook, remov'd his post
To that black square his sovereign first engross'd,
To back his queen and Blanche's favour'd pawn;
Nigra, obliquely, skimm'd the hostile lawn,
And Gard'reine's pawn to other realms despatch'd;
When Blanche, her course who circumspectly watch'd,
Stepp'd one square forward (Crosier at her beck),
In Nigra's absence Niger's self to check.
But Nigra saw; as birds, the air she cleft,
Her state resuming on the spot she'd left,
Facing, and frowning at, the adverse queen;
A pawn their bodies, hate their souls between.
Blanc's bishop's pawn now rashly Nigra braves,
A black pawn sends him to his fathers' graves;
The black pawn, braving Blanche, in turn is slain
By Garderoi's pawn, white horseman of the plain;
The pawn, elated by his foe's defeat,
Attack's stern Nigra; she, as fierce as fleet,
Obliquely moves and, with a taunting mien,
Seizes the mantle of the rival queen;
“Of one or both of us the time is come,”
She cried, then—flitted to eternal home;
Sent there by Blanche who, as rash Nigra flew
To meet her, slily a fell poniard drew,
With her left hand the black queen's sword-arm caught,
While with the right her coal-black heart she sought;
Sought and secur'd; the dagger tapp'd its blood:
Nigra lay rolling in an inky flood.
Blanche with a conqueror's foot her bosom press'd;
“Go, fiend,” she cried, “but vainly hope for rest;
Where'er thy spirit goes no peace can be,
Thyself the origin of anarchy.”
Then turn'd, exulting, from the royal dead,
And wav'd her shield, triumphant, o'er her head;
Niger then faced and would her dart have thrown,
But dar'd not—“Check!” she cried, “the field's our own;
Blanc reigns triumphant! and his queen”—was gone,
Pierc'd by the jav'lin of a crafty pawn.
The widow'd kings awhile give nature way;
Awhile suspend their anger and the fray,
The royal victims from the field to move:
And ivory tears each bosom's anguish prove.
The mournful chiefs upraise the bleeding pair;
Each to her tent with solemn steps they bear:
There, laid in state, the amazons they leave;
Retire in silence, and retire to grieve.
Each where he stood when night dismiss'd the host,
157
Two paces moved, to where rude clangor rang.
Black Ensorex curvetted to the right,
In lateral order with his comrade knight.
In his king's square the white king's rook was seen,
Close to Rextour and facing Nigra's queen.
Rexensor's pawn from Niger's front then went
One step, to guard grim Nigra his intent;
For Blancs white body guard one step alone
Lack'd to where stood the mistress of the throne;
That step, if sovereign mandate had compell'd,
The pawn had taken and had Nigra fell'd;
But that step taken now the white king knew
Death to his body's guardian must ensue.
158
Forward one motion, eager to unite
His straggling infantry in solid band,
And, hence, success with vigour to command.
By Whist advis'd; who scans events in train,
Of points tenacious, and of honours vain.
Then Nigra's pawn, with one bold step, attack'd
The hors'd sir Gard'reine, who abruptly back'd,
And leapt to where a white pawn stood, between
Himself and Niger's yet inactive queen—
For, Niger's orders fated to obey,
Fix'd stood the queen, tho' fretting for the fray—
Wond'ring he leapt and blushing that he fled,
That one foot soldier struck his sould with dread;
But game's queer gods were sneaking on the lawn,
And Put attack'd him, imag'd by the pawn.
159
Prepar'd; his eye on one spot saw him keep,
As meditating next that spot to gain,
From whence one leap had finish'd Nigra's reign;
Hence he commanded Rextour's pawn to move
One step, the knight to foil and save his love.
One move sir Gard'reine's pawn, with caution made,
The oppos'd Black pawn mov'd once, there, watching, staid.
Twice stepping, Garderoi's pawn the centre gain'd,
Where a strong line his comrade pawns maintain'd.
Niger's black knight, the centre line to force,
With eager spur impell'd his restive horse;
160
Stood foot to foot: nor dared the knights proceed
To courted combat till obtain'd command;
There fix'd, with angry impotence they stand.
So have I seen two bull-dogs grin with spite,
Held by their masters from the ruthless fight;
Held by the neck; but yet, for sport oppos'd;
Put on, then check'd, tho' by each other nos'd;
While growling, snarling, with their eyes on fire,
Foaming, and struggling, each displays his ire;
Fruitless that ire; fierce looks from brute to brute,
Foretell dread slaughter when the time shall suit.
But Blanc to aid his bishop's pawn intent,
Who Nigra near'd, command to Gard'reine sent
To wheel with rapid course, and backward spring,
And stand two squares before the pallid king,
That Cros'roi's pawn on boldly he might push:
The hint was Loo's, t' ensure of whites a flush,
161
A rook and man;—could these the pawn retard,
Trebly supported, had he gone his course,
Back'd by a castle, bishop, and a horse?
But Niger, watching with a lynx's eye,
Bade bold Rexensor to her rescue fly;
Facing strong Reineforte, elbowing queen Blanche,
He stands: when, like a sudden avalanche,
Huge Reineforte falls resistless on the knight,
Whose body tarries, but his soul takes flight.
Yet, lurking there, the pawn of Nigra came,
The towering rook o'erlook'd the puny game;
Yes, like the fool, who from a small wound died,
Which, deem'd as trifling, spread and mortified,
Proud Reineforte scorn'd the humble pawn, whose blade
Under the rook's fifth rib a passage made;
162
For dread's the panic when a castle falls!
But short the time the queen on grief bestows,
The pawn stands pertly 'neath her royal nose,
And he had slain her, but the agile fair
Seiz'd the bold menial by his raven hair;
He aim'd to strike—'twas button to a boat—
She thrust her falchion down his craven throat,
Then spurn'd him off; yet honour'd was his death,
Since hands as fair as royal stopp'd his breath.
Now Regintoure, the black queen's rook, first mov'd,
And kill'd the pawn the slaughter'd Reineforte lov'd;
A maiden pawn, whom Reineforte would have wed,
But she, aspiring, ey'd a nobler bed;
And, brave as fair, if death Blanche' fate had been,
The lovely amazon bade fair for queen.
163
To that black square his sovereign first engross'd,
To back his queen and Blanche's favour'd pawn;
Nigra, obliquely, skimm'd the hostile lawn,
And Gard'reine's pawn to other realms despatch'd;
When Blanche, her course who circumspectly watch'd,
Stepp'd one square forward (Crosier at her beck),
In Nigra's absence Niger's self to check.
But Nigra saw; as birds, the air she cleft,
Her state resuming on the spot she'd left,
Facing, and frowning at, the adverse queen;
A pawn their bodies, hate their souls between.
Blanc's bishop's pawn now rashly Nigra braves,
A black pawn sends him to his fathers' graves;
164
By Garderoi's pawn, white horseman of the plain;
The pawn, elated by his foe's defeat,
Attack's stern Nigra; she, as fierce as fleet,
Obliquely moves and, with a taunting mien,
Seizes the mantle of the rival queen;
“Of one or both of us the time is come,”
She cried, then—flitted to eternal home;
Sent there by Blanche who, as rash Nigra flew
To meet her, slily a fell poniard drew,
With her left hand the black queen's sword-arm caught,
While with the right her coal-black heart she sought;
Sought and secur'd; the dagger tapp'd its blood:
Nigra lay rolling in an inky flood.
165
“Go, fiend,” she cried, “but vainly hope for rest;
Where'er thy spirit goes no peace can be,
Thyself the origin of anarchy.”
Then turn'd, exulting, from the royal dead,
And wav'd her shield, triumphant, o'er her head;
Niger then faced and would her dart have thrown,
But dar'd not—“Check!” she cried, “the field's our own;
Blanc reigns triumphant! and his queen”—was gone,
Pierc'd by the jav'lin of a crafty pawn.
The widow'd kings awhile give nature way;
Awhile suspend their anger and the fray,
The royal victims from the field to move:
And ivory tears each bosom's anguish prove.
The mournful chiefs upraise the bleeding pair;
Each to her tent with solemn steps they bear:
There, laid in state, the amazons they leave;
Retire in silence, and retire to grieve.
166
Now Loo and Put survey'd th' ensanguin'd plain;
Two queens despatch'd and many a chess-man slain,
Within their bosoms anxious fears arose;
Such odds depended on the battle's close:
To each more dubious now appear'd the day
Than when at first they betted on the fray.
Their hopes to fortify, their interest aid,
They vow'd to mingle in the fight they made,
In Hazard's spite; when Joan advised the gods
Not to tempt Hazard, 'twere too serious odds;
To angry Hazard up the demons flew,
Whose rattling bones, as near his throne they drew,
Appall'd them—humbly each his suit preferr'd;
Scowling, like quarter-day, stern Hazard heard:
Enrag'd, at once his eyes with anger shone
As shines a dog's when from him snatch'd a bone;
His jaws distended like some dread abyss,
And rage had thunder'd out, but with a kiss
Joan stopp'd his mouth, then fill'd his fav'rite cup;
It held two quarts, but Hazard drank it up.
Coax'd to good humour, silence then he broke;
The fogs all trembled as the demon spoke:
“I see your danger, and I hear your pray'r,
Your case I pity, and your feelings spare;
The die I cast, if sizes be the throw
Hazard consents, for fate 'tis bids you go;
But one condition binds you, abject gods,
Whoever wins to me gives half the odds.”
They heard, consenting; vain dispute had been;
His cheek Joan patted, and then chuck'd his chin;
The trembling box in's harpy hands he took,
The thundering dice tremendously he shook;
An earthquake follow'd: or in France, or Spain,
Or—where I know not, so to tell refrain.
The dice he threw, and sizes was the throw;
“'Tis fate,” he cried, “and Hazard bids you go.”
Two queens despatch'd and many a chess-man slain,
Within their bosoms anxious fears arose;
Such odds depended on the battle's close:
To each more dubious now appear'd the day
Than when at first they betted on the fray.
Their hopes to fortify, their interest aid,
They vow'd to mingle in the fight they made,
In Hazard's spite; when Joan advised the gods
Not to tempt Hazard, 'twere too serious odds;
To angry Hazard up the demons flew,
Whose rattling bones, as near his throne they drew,
Appall'd them—humbly each his suit preferr'd;
Scowling, like quarter-day, stern Hazard heard:
Enrag'd, at once his eyes with anger shone
As shines a dog's when from him snatch'd a bone;
His jaws distended like some dread abyss,
And rage had thunder'd out, but with a kiss
Joan stopp'd his mouth, then fill'd his fav'rite cup;
It held two quarts, but Hazard drank it up.
167
The fogs all trembled as the demon spoke:
“I see your danger, and I hear your pray'r,
Your case I pity, and your feelings spare;
The die I cast, if sizes be the throw
Hazard consents, for fate 'tis bids you go;
But one condition binds you, abject gods,
Whoever wins to me gives half the odds.”
They heard, consenting; vain dispute had been;
His cheek Joan patted, and then chuck'd his chin;
The trembling box in's harpy hands he took,
The thundering dice tremendously he shook;
An earthquake follow'd: or in France, or Spain,
Or—where I know not, so to tell refrain.
The dice he threw, and sizes was the throw;
“'Tis fate,” he cried, “and Hazard bids you go.”
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