Page:Omniana 2.djvu/57

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OMNIANA.
47

massive statues of gold and silver moved at the touch of a magic wand; but the adventure to which he refers in the Romance of Lancelot du Lac is a different one,. . the Knight played one set and the other played themselves.

A learned school divine of Huarte's acquaintance used to play chess with his servant and was generally beat by him. "Sirrah," said he one day in his anger, "how comes it to pass that thou who hast no skill neither in Latin nor Logick nor Divinity shouldst beat me who am full of Scotus and St. Thomas? Is it possible that thou shouldst have a better wit than I? verily I cannot believe it except the Devil tells thee what moves to make."

There is a curious passage concerning this game in Huarte. "The Moors, as they are great players at chess, have in their soldiers pay set seven degrees, in imitation of the seven draughts which the pawn must make to be a Queen; and so they enlarge the pay from one to