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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| 3. | CANTO THIRD. |
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 | Comic Tales and Lyrical Fancies |  |
138
CANTO THIRD.
ARGUMENT.
Morning gets up, lets out day-light, and locks up darkness—A simile in point—Chessic forces drawn out for battle—Their order, tactics, and discipline—Put, who has laid odds with Loo upon Niger, appears invisibly to Blanc, and induces him to begin the battle, in order to remove the anger of Hazard from Niger to the white king—Battle commences—Description of it, interspersed with similes and reflections—The demons assist their favourites—Deaths related in their proper places, as detailing them here would be killing the people before their time—Pope Joan makes a ferocious attack on a white knight—The combatants parted by Night—Bishop Crozier's speech—A parody.
Now Morning, yawning, rais'd her from her bed,
Slipp'd on her wrapper blue and 'kerchief red,
And took from Night the key of Sleep's abode;
For Night within that mansion had bestow'd
The Hours of day; now, turn and turn about,
Morn takes the key and lets the Day-hours out;
Laughing, they issue from the ebon gate,
And Night walks in. As when, in drowsy state,
Some watchman, wed to one who chars all day,
Takes to his lodging's door his creeping way;
His rib, arising, lets him in to sleep,
While she emerges to scrub, dust, and sweep.
Slipp'd on her wrapper blue and 'kerchief red,
And took from Night the key of Sleep's abode;
For Night within that mansion had bestow'd
139
Morn takes the key and lets the Day-hours out;
Laughing, they issue from the ebon gate,
And Night walks in. As when, in drowsy state,
Some watchman, wed to one who chars all day,
Takes to his lodging's door his creeping way;
His rib, arising, lets him in to sleep,
While she emerges to scrub, dust, and sweep.
'Twas morning now; and now the kings of chess
Draw out their forces, and their marching press;
Soon on the chequer'd field the foes appear,
Their ivory hearts impervious to a fear.
In horizontal lines the armies stand,
The field's extremities the chiefs command;
The white the north to fix their standard gain,
The black the southern confine of the plain;
Front daring front: two-deep, in rows confin'd;
The pawns before, king, queen and chiefs behind.
Muse, sing the chiefs, their names and their renown;
And first the forces of the lily crown.
Blanc the august, the white king, stood like Saul,
(Central, on black square) tallest of the tall.
Close at his left (on white) his consort stood,
Blanche, pallid Amazon, who show'd no blood
In her fair cheeks; but, when the fight began,
Boldly she singled and engag'd her man.
On Blanc's right hand, and Blanche's left, was plac'd
A lawn-olad bishop, but with corslet brac'd;
Sage Crosieroi, the king's; whose constant aim
Was checking Niger, to conclude the game.
For kings are sacred, and in chessic strife
Ensur'd from hazard is the royal life;
Nor will their law the ruthless soldier spare
A king to capture who should rashly dare;
But on some foe when fortune power bestows
The royal life or liberty to close
“Check!” must he cry; and to the threaten'd king
Should each remove an equal peril bring
“Checkmate!” they cry; the king the palm must yield.
Though all his forces should array the field.
But when the king—queen, chiefs and pawns, all lost;
Or pawns remain, each hemm'd in at his post—
Stands free from check, yet certain check must prove
Move when he may, and still impell'd to move,
“Stalemate!” the monarch cries, with joyful phiz,
The fight's decided and the victory his;
The foe, confounded, arms and standard bring,
A suppliant tribute to the vaunting king;
Who, big with triumph, struts: as oft I've seen
A conquering game-cock on a village green,
While he beheld his vanquish'd rival flee,
Strut, clap his wings, and crow for victory.
At Blanche's left mild Reinelawn (bishop's queen),
Gentle in manner, firm in mind, was seen;
His tutor'd duty to oppose the track
Of Mitrex fell, king's bishop of the black.
Close to each bishop stood a knight of force,
Each proudly seated on a menag'd horse,
Which o'er the field, curvetting here and there,
Spread dread dismay, and ruin, and despair.
Garderoi the king's side took; Gardereine the side
Where royal Blanche appear'd, in ivory pride.
Sidelong by these the rooks: Roifort the right
Of Blanc, and Reineforte the opposing site.
The pawns before them in a line extend,
A pigmy race, but far too brave to bend;
Equal in rank, except the pawn dispos'd
Front of the bishop with the king who clos'd,
The monarch's body guard, he kept his stand
Till case extreme his marching should command.
On northern limit thus the whites were plac'd,
Blacks on the south their equal rivals fac'd.
Niger and Nigra on the middle site,
She stood on black, the monarch on the white;
Mitrex, Rexensor, and Rextour, the pride
Of Niger's army, grac'd the monarch's side.
Black Mitregina, Reginalde the knight,
And brave rook Regintoure, guard Nigra's right.
Draw out their forces, and their marching press;
Soon on the chequer'd field the foes appear,
Their ivory hearts impervious to a fear.
In horizontal lines the armies stand,
The field's extremities the chiefs command;
The white the north to fix their standard gain,
The black the southern confine of the plain;
Front daring front: two-deep, in rows confin'd;
The pawns before, king, queen and chiefs behind.
Muse, sing the chiefs, their names and their renown;
And first the forces of the lily crown.
140
(Central, on black square) tallest of the tall.
Close at his left (on white) his consort stood,
Blanche, pallid Amazon, who show'd no blood
In her fair cheeks; but, when the fight began,
Boldly she singled and engag'd her man.
On Blanc's right hand, and Blanche's left, was plac'd
A lawn-olad bishop, but with corslet brac'd;
Sage Crosieroi, the king's; whose constant aim
Was checking Niger, to conclude the game.
For kings are sacred, and in chessic strife
Ensur'd from hazard is the royal life;
Nor will their law the ruthless soldier spare
A king to capture who should rashly dare;
But on some foe when fortune power bestows
The royal life or liberty to close
“Check!” must he cry; and to the threaten'd king
Should each remove an equal peril bring
“Checkmate!” they cry; the king the palm must yield.
Though all his forces should array the field.
141
Or pawns remain, each hemm'd in at his post—
Stands free from check, yet certain check must prove
Move when he may, and still impell'd to move,
“Stalemate!” the monarch cries, with joyful phiz,
The fight's decided and the victory his;
The foe, confounded, arms and standard bring,
A suppliant tribute to the vaunting king;
Who, big with triumph, struts: as oft I've seen
A conquering game-cock on a village green,
While he beheld his vanquish'd rival flee,
Strut, clap his wings, and crow for victory.
At Blanche's left mild Reinelawn (bishop's queen),
Gentle in manner, firm in mind, was seen;
His tutor'd duty to oppose the track
Of Mitrex fell, king's bishop of the black.
Close to each bishop stood a knight of force,
Each proudly seated on a menag'd horse,
Which o'er the field, curvetting here and there,
Spread dread dismay, and ruin, and despair.
142
Where royal Blanche appear'd, in ivory pride.
Sidelong by these the rooks: Roifort the right
Of Blanc, and Reineforte the opposing site.
The pawns before them in a line extend,
A pigmy race, but far too brave to bend;
Equal in rank, except the pawn dispos'd
Front of the bishop with the king who clos'd,
The monarch's body guard, he kept his stand
Till case extreme his marching should command.
On northern limit thus the whites were plac'd,
Blacks on the south their equal rivals fac'd.
Niger and Nigra on the middle site,
She stood on black, the monarch on the white;
Mitrex, Rexensor, and Rextour, the pride
Of Niger's army, grac'd the monarch's side.
Black Mitregina, Reginalde the knight,
And brave rook Regintoure, guard Nigra's right.
Now in the Rookery the gods of game
Assembled sat, to view the field of fame;
There angry Hazard, high above the rest,
In thought profound, a mist of mildew press'd;
One arm thrown, careless, o'er a cloud of blight,
The other's elbow press'd a fog of night;
The hand his chin receiv'd, which there reclin'd;
The fingers, part before and part behind
His tangled beard; one foot was backward drawn,
T' other, stretch'd out, a bog-mist rested on.
Thence his keen eye survey'd the chessic lawns,
The kings, queens, bishops, champions, rooks, and pawns.
Awhile both armies meditating stood;
No trumpet's clangor urg'd the direful feud,
But awful silence through each phalanx reign'd,
And wary thought impetuous heat restrain'd.
Both trac'd the field with circumspective eyes,
Each chance to calculate and ward surprise.
As when the elephant, in wild retreat,
And barb'd rhinoceros abrubtly meet;
By nature foes; each other they survey
With anxious scrutiny; the mortal fray
Each to anticipate intent; for he
That first advantage gains must victor be.
If that with pond'rous trunk first strike the blow,
Stunn'd, an immediate conquest is the foe;
But if the foe the pond'rous trunk evade,
Death's certain dart his fatal horn is made.
So chess-men rush not to a pell-mell fray,
But vict'ry gain, like Fabius, by delay.
At length, from where the speculating gods
Survey'd the field, and gave and took the odds,
Impatient Put came down the misty way,
Drawn by three steeds, his car a pasteboard tray;
His steeds (from Pluto's old black hackney bred,
And Mars' red mare) were shewbald, black and red.
Impetuous Put, deceitful power, who plays
His cards astutely, recreant fears to raise
Within the adverse breast: all shifts he knows;
With weakest hand the boldest fight he shows;
Puts upon nothing, with imposing frown,
And by effront'ry bears his rival down.
Niger his aim, his care was to excite
The pallid monarch to begin the fight;
Deeming first blow a foul offence would prove,
And Hazard's anger from the blacks remove;
Remov'd, on Blanc with double force 'twould fall,
The white hope wither, and confound them all.
Blanc's cause no injury had he aim'd to do,
But that on Niger he took odds with Loo.
Blanc then he sought, and speciously began,
“Why don't you put 'em boldly, like a man?
Daring does wonders, shrinking brings remorse;
Whirlwinds and torrents own resistless force.
On to the charge then, victory I bring;
I, guardian genius of the white-rob'd king.”
Veil'd in thick mist he spake; the wondering white
Heard his good genius, though conceal'd the sprite,
Admiring heard: his crafty words persuade;
“Charge!” cried the monarch, and the men obey'd.
Blanc-pawn (the pawn before the king who stands)
Two paces marches, as the king commands.
Niger-pawn (he before the black king set)
Stepp'd out two paces and his rival met.
There foot to foot they stood; while scorn each lower'd,
But dar'd not charge till fresh command empower'd;
Chessmen a Roman discipline obey,
And he who strikes unbidden, though the day
His prowess gain, resigns his forfeit breath,
Crown'd, like young Manlius, by the hand of death.
Now mitred Crosieroi the opening cleft
And front of Reinelawn stood, to Blanche's left.
The sable Mitrex saw the lily priest,
His biting falchion from its sheath releas'd,
Flew where he stood—Piquet's assurance got
That he the rival Bishop should capotte—
And he had cleft him, but that Pope, unseen,
The desperate Bishops threw herself between;
Between them drew an horizontal line,
Spell-fraught, and shield against each rash design.
The Pawn which front of bishop Reinlawne staid,
By Blanche commanded, one advance then made;
When fierce sir Ensorex, by Brog inspir'd,
O'erleap'd black Mitrex' pawn, by vengeance fir'd,
Thirsting for blood. Blanch-pawn two paces squar'd,
To shield from Mitrex Blanc's white body guard,
And reach the centre of the field, for there
Phalanx to place is chessic warrior's care.
But there stood Niger-pawn, and Cribbage, near,
“Peg that white boaster,” whisper'd in his ear:
Niger-pawn took the hint, commenc'd death's strife,
Pegg'd him to earth, and cribb'd his lily life.
A white pawn nigh return'd on him death's job,
Fell'd him, and cried, “There's one, sir, for your nob.”
Mitrex retired one pace, advis'd by Loo,
Who though a desperate demon's cautious too,
And politicians of the chessic race
In the king's bishop's fall foretell disgrace;
His line of movements caution must supply,
And not from fear he flies but policy.
Loo chose the whites for that, among the gods,
On Blanc, with Put (as sung), he took the odds.
Now white sir Gard'reine pranc'd upon the plain,
A station front of Reinelawne's post to gain,
Behind brave Crosieroi. The sable king,
Suspecting ill from Crosieroi would spring,
For full security his station took
Within the castle of his left-hand rook.
Now brave sir Garderoi, to inspect the throng,
Bounded, and rested at the feet of Blanc:
The pawn that fronted the black bishop kept
His place no more, but one pace forward stepp'd.
Crosier recedes one pace, compell'd by Joan,
Who saw the black queen's pawn come posting on;
And, urg'd by Brag, two paces went the pawn,
Threat'ning, with flourish'd blade, the man of lawn.
Blanc-pawn, one pace, resumes his tardy course,
Edging at angles fell Rexensor's horse;
The fiery horse retreats: O, shameful flight,
A mean foot soldier drove a mounted knight!
'Twas Put, though foe to whites, yet pleas'd to see
The soldier's daring, saw the jeopardy
In which he stood, oppos'd the furious knight,
But only present to his horse's sight;
The sudden vision struck the horse with fear,
“Put” bawl'd the god, like thunder, in its ear;
Backward, with sudden fright, the charger leapt,
Sidelong with Nigra; there his station kept.
Fair Blanche's bishop, of inaction tir'd,
Three paces to her right advanc'd, inspir'd
By Speculation; who, as aid-de-camp,
Appear'd with orders from the mighty Blanc.
One step the pawn in front of Rextour took,
To make an op'ning for the towering rook.
Now the white queen, with cautious, studious, care,
Her station changes to the forward square;
Her whiting's eyes around the field she throws,
Her friends salutes with smiles, with scorn her foes.
Now Niger's body guard essays the fight,
Despatching Blanc-pawn to the realms of night;
Blanche-pawn beheld and left, a just reward,
Headless the body of the body guard;
While Nigra's bishop took three squares his course,
To guard her pawn from the oppos'd white horse.
Now Blanc's prompt knight tow'rds Mitregina flies
To take the black queen's bishop by surprise
When next he leaps; which catching Nigra's sight,
Her spear she poises and her aim the knight;
Steps out, obliquely to the left, one pace;
The horse grows restive at her grisly face.
Reinelawn and Mitrex long oppos'd had stood,
Scorn in their eyes, anath'ma in their mood;
The road lay open, none their fury stay'd,
But Joan, her care who every bishop made;
Now, absent she, to Reinelawn Commerce came,
Cried “See your rival, I your shield, take aim;
He has but one life, let that drop to me;
Translate the bishop to some other see.”
“The dead sea,” Reinelawne cried, with punning spite,
And sent the mitred black to blacker night.
A pawn, behind, aveng'd his bishop's blood,
And sent the slayer to the Stygian flood.
To Roifort's castle wary Blanc retires,
To watch the field, while Nigra's knight aspires
His queen to second; to her side he flies,
Angled by Ensorex. Sir Garderoi eyes
The black queen's bishop with relentless hate,
Leaps on his foe with man and horse's weight;
The trampled bishop dies: when Joan return'd,
Three death-translated mitred sons she mourn'd,
Fir'd by revenge, she seiz'd fierce Nigra's dart,
And drave the weapon through the horseman's heart;
Then stabb'd the horse, which plung'd, and with a bound
Leap'd four yards high, then bit the shaken ground;
Down came the knight, his armour and his bones
Rattling like some huge load of tilted stones.
Now Night's approach made Crosieroi extend
His ivory crook. The signal all attend
Sacred to chessmen; all obedience yield
To him, sole Bishop on the fatal field.
All wait to hear the venerable man,
Who strok'd his ivory beard and thus began.
“Forbear, my sons, to urge on further thrall;
All dear to men, though Hazard hates ye all:
O'er all the world your wondrous worth is known,
Your blood says nothing, but all know your bone.
Now her `thick blanket' yawning Night has spread;
'Tis half-past twelve, and time to go to bed;
To-morrow-day again shall lead to fame,
And fate shall check determine, and the game.”
He ceas'd, the kings this royal answer made,
“The bishop parts us; be the Night obey'd.”
Assembled sat, to view the field of fame;
143
In thought profound, a mist of mildew press'd;
One arm thrown, careless, o'er a cloud of blight,
The other's elbow press'd a fog of night;
The hand his chin receiv'd, which there reclin'd;
The fingers, part before and part behind
His tangled beard; one foot was backward drawn,
T' other, stretch'd out, a bog-mist rested on.
Thence his keen eye survey'd the chessic lawns,
The kings, queens, bishops, champions, rooks, and pawns.
Awhile both armies meditating stood;
No trumpet's clangor urg'd the direful feud,
But awful silence through each phalanx reign'd,
And wary thought impetuous heat restrain'd.
Both trac'd the field with circumspective eyes,
Each chance to calculate and ward surprise.
As when the elephant, in wild retreat,
And barb'd rhinoceros abrubtly meet;
By nature foes; each other they survey
With anxious scrutiny; the mortal fray
144
That first advantage gains must victor be.
If that with pond'rous trunk first strike the blow,
Stunn'd, an immediate conquest is the foe;
But if the foe the pond'rous trunk evade,
Death's certain dart his fatal horn is made.
So chess-men rush not to a pell-mell fray,
But vict'ry gain, like Fabius, by delay.
At length, from where the speculating gods
Survey'd the field, and gave and took the odds,
Impatient Put came down the misty way,
Drawn by three steeds, his car a pasteboard tray;
His steeds (from Pluto's old black hackney bred,
And Mars' red mare) were shewbald, black and red.
Impetuous Put, deceitful power, who plays
His cards astutely, recreant fears to raise
Within the adverse breast: all shifts he knows;
With weakest hand the boldest fight he shows;
Puts upon nothing, with imposing frown,
And by effront'ry bears his rival down.
145
The pallid monarch to begin the fight;
Deeming first blow a foul offence would prove,
And Hazard's anger from the blacks remove;
Remov'd, on Blanc with double force 'twould fall,
The white hope wither, and confound them all.
Blanc's cause no injury had he aim'd to do,
But that on Niger he took odds with Loo.
Blanc then he sought, and speciously began,
“Why don't you put 'em boldly, like a man?
Daring does wonders, shrinking brings remorse;
Whirlwinds and torrents own resistless force.
On to the charge then, victory I bring;
I, guardian genius of the white-rob'd king.”
Veil'd in thick mist he spake; the wondering white
Heard his good genius, though conceal'd the sprite,
Admiring heard: his crafty words persuade;
“Charge!” cried the monarch, and the men obey'd.
146
Two paces marches, as the king commands.
Niger-pawn (he before the black king set)
Stepp'd out two paces and his rival met.
There foot to foot they stood; while scorn each lower'd,
But dar'd not charge till fresh command empower'd;
Chessmen a Roman discipline obey,
And he who strikes unbidden, though the day
His prowess gain, resigns his forfeit breath,
Crown'd, like young Manlius, by the hand of death.
Now mitred Crosieroi the opening cleft
And front of Reinelawn stood, to Blanche's left.
The sable Mitrex saw the lily priest,
His biting falchion from its sheath releas'd,
147
That he the rival Bishop should capotte—
And he had cleft him, but that Pope, unseen,
The desperate Bishops threw herself between;
Between them drew an horizontal line,
Spell-fraught, and shield against each rash design.
The Pawn which front of bishop Reinlawne staid,
By Blanche commanded, one advance then made;
When fierce sir Ensorex, by Brog inspir'd,
O'erleap'd black Mitrex' pawn, by vengeance fir'd,
Thirsting for blood. Blanch-pawn two paces squar'd,
To shield from Mitrex Blanc's white body guard,
And reach the centre of the field, for there
Phalanx to place is chessic warrior's care.
148
“Peg that white boaster,” whisper'd in his ear:
Niger-pawn took the hint, commenc'd death's strife,
Pegg'd him to earth, and cribb'd his lily life.
A white pawn nigh return'd on him death's job,
Fell'd him, and cried, “There's one, sir, for your nob.”
Mitrex retired one pace, advis'd by Loo,
Who though a desperate demon's cautious too,
And politicians of the chessic race
In the king's bishop's fall foretell disgrace;
His line of movements caution must supply,
And not from fear he flies but policy.
Loo chose the whites for that, among the gods,
On Blanc, with Put (as sung), he took the odds.
Now white sir Gard'reine pranc'd upon the plain,
A station front of Reinelawne's post to gain,
149
Suspecting ill from Crosieroi would spring,
For full security his station took
Within the castle of his left-hand rook.
Now brave sir Garderoi, to inspect the throng,
Bounded, and rested at the feet of Blanc:
The pawn that fronted the black bishop kept
His place no more, but one pace forward stepp'd.
Crosier recedes one pace, compell'd by Joan,
Who saw the black queen's pawn come posting on;
And, urg'd by Brag, two paces went the pawn,
Threat'ning, with flourish'd blade, the man of lawn.
150
Edging at angles fell Rexensor's horse;
The fiery horse retreats: O, shameful flight,
A mean foot soldier drove a mounted knight!
'Twas Put, though foe to whites, yet pleas'd to see
The soldier's daring, saw the jeopardy
In which he stood, oppos'd the furious knight,
But only present to his horse's sight;
The sudden vision struck the horse with fear,
“Put” bawl'd the god, like thunder, in its ear;
Backward, with sudden fright, the charger leapt,
Sidelong with Nigra; there his station kept.
Fair Blanche's bishop, of inaction tir'd,
Three paces to her right advanc'd, inspir'd
By Speculation; who, as aid-de-camp,
Appear'd with orders from the mighty Blanc.
151
To make an op'ning for the towering rook.
Now the white queen, with cautious, studious, care,
Her station changes to the forward square;
Her whiting's eyes around the field she throws,
Her friends salutes with smiles, with scorn her foes.
Now Niger's body guard essays the fight,
Despatching Blanc-pawn to the realms of night;
Blanche-pawn beheld and left, a just reward,
Headless the body of the body guard;
While Nigra's bishop took three squares his course,
To guard her pawn from the oppos'd white horse.
152
To take the black queen's bishop by surprise
When next he leaps; which catching Nigra's sight,
Her spear she poises and her aim the knight;
Steps out, obliquely to the left, one pace;
The horse grows restive at her grisly face.
Reinelawn and Mitrex long oppos'd had stood,
Scorn in their eyes, anath'ma in their mood;
The road lay open, none their fury stay'd,
But Joan, her care who every bishop made;
Now, absent she, to Reinelawn Commerce came,
Cried “See your rival, I your shield, take aim;
He has but one life, let that drop to me;
Translate the bishop to some other see.”
153
And sent the mitred black to blacker night.
A pawn, behind, aveng'd his bishop's blood,
And sent the slayer to the Stygian flood.
To Roifort's castle wary Blanc retires,
To watch the field, while Nigra's knight aspires
His queen to second; to her side he flies,
Angled by Ensorex. Sir Garderoi eyes
The black queen's bishop with relentless hate,
Leaps on his foe with man and horse's weight;
The trampled bishop dies: when Joan return'd,
Three death-translated mitred sons she mourn'd,
Fir'd by revenge, she seiz'd fierce Nigra's dart,
And drave the weapon through the horseman's heart;
Then stabb'd the horse, which plung'd, and with a bound
Leap'd four yards high, then bit the shaken ground;
154
Rattling like some huge load of tilted stones.
Now Night's approach made Crosieroi extend
His ivory crook. The signal all attend
Sacred to chessmen; all obedience yield
To him, sole Bishop on the fatal field.
All wait to hear the venerable man,
Who strok'd his ivory beard and thus began.
“Forbear, my sons, to urge on further thrall;
All dear to men, though Hazard hates ye all:
O'er all the world your wondrous worth is known,
Your blood says nothing, but all know your bone.
Now her `thick blanket' yawning Night has spread;
'Tis half-past twelve, and time to go to bed;
To-morrow-day again shall lead to fame,
And fate shall check determine, and the game.”
He ceas'd, the kings this royal answer made,
“The bishop parts us; be the Night obey'd.”
i. e. He castled. The king can castle on either side, when there is no piece between the king and the rook with which he intends to castle; but he cannot castle when in check, nor if he has previously made a move. In castleing, the rook is brought up to the king, and the king removed to the square next beyond the rook.
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