Chapter XVII: Prologue

What of the game call’d Chess-play can be made
To make a stage-play, shall this day be play’d:
First, you shall see the men in order set,
States[507] and their Pawns, when both the sides are
met,
The Houses well distinguish’d; in the game
Some men entrapt and taken to their shame,
Rewarded by their play; and, in the close,
You shall see check-mate given to virtue’s foes:
But the fair’st jewel that our hopes can deck,
Is so to play our game t' avoid your check.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

_White King._ _Black King._
_White Knight._ _Black Knight._
_White Duke._ _Black Duke._
_White Bishop._ _Black Bishop._
_Pawns._ _Pawns._
_Fat Bishop._
_His Pawn._
_White Queen._ _Black Queen._
_Her Pawn._ _Her Pawn._

IN THE INDUCTION.

IGNATIUS LOYOLA.
ERROR.

A GAME AT CHESS.

INDUCTION.

ERROR _discovered asleep: enter_ IGNATIUS LOYOLA.

IGN. Ha! where? what angle[508] of the world is this,
That I can neither see the politic face,
Nor with my refin’d nostrils taste[509] the footsteps
Of any my disciples, sons and heirs
As well of my designs as institution?
I thought they had spread over the world by this time,
Cover’d the earth’s face, and made dark the land,
Like the Egyptian grasshoppers.
Here’s too much light appears, shot from the eyes
Of Truth and Goodness never yet deflower’d:
Sure they were never here; then is their monarchy
Unperfect yet; a just reward, I see,
For their ingratitude so long to me,
Their father and their founder.
’Tis not five years since I was sainted by ’em:
Where slept mine honour all the time before?
Could they be so forgetful to canonize
Their prosperous institutor? when they had sainted me,
They found no room in all their calendar
To place my name, that should have remov’d princes,
Pull’d the most eminent prelates by the roots up
For my dear coming, to make way for me;
Let every petty martyr and saint homily,
Roch,[510] Main,[511] and Petronill,[512] itch and
ague-curers,
Your abbess Aldegund[513] and Cunegund,[514]
The widow Marcell,[515] parson Polycarp,[516]
Cecily[517] and Ursula,[518] all take place of me;
And but for the bissextile or leap-year,
And that’s but one in three. I fall by chance
Into the nine-and-twentieth day of February;
There were no room else for me: see their love,
Their conscience too, to thrust me a lame soldier[519]
Into leap-year! My Wrath’s up, and, methinks,
I could with the first syllable of my name
Blow up their colleges.—Up, Error, wake!
Father of supererogation, rise!
It is Ignatius calls thee, Loyola.
ERROR. What have you done? O, I could sleep in
ignorance
Immortally, the slumber is so pleasing!
I saw the bravest setting for a game now
That ever mine eye fix’d on.
IGN. What game, prithee?
ERROR. The noblest game of all, a game at chess,
Betwixt our side and the White House; the men set
In their just order, ready to go to’t.
IGN. Were any of my sons plac’d for the game?
ERROR. Yes, and a daughter too; a secular daughter
That plays the Black Queen’s Pawn, he the Black
Bishop’s.
IGN. If ever power could shew a mastery[520] in thee,
Let it appear in this!
ERROR. ’Tis but a dream,
A vision, you must think.
IGN. I care not what,
So I behold[521] the children of my cunning,
And see what rank they keep.
ERROR. You have your wish:

_Music: enter severally, in order of the game, the White
and Black Houses._

Behold, there’s the full number of the game,
Kings and their Pawns, Queens, Bishops, Knights, and
Dukes.
IGN. Dukes? they’re call’d Rooks by some.
ERROR. Corruptedly;
_Le roc_[522] the word, _custode[523] de la roche_,
The keeper of the forts, in whom both Kings
Repose much confidence; and for their trust-sake,
Courage, and worth, do well deserve those titles.
IGN. The answer’s high: I see my son and
daughter.[524]
ERROR. Those are two Pawns, the Black Queen’s and
Black[525] Bishop’s.
IGN. Pawns argue but poor spirits and slight
performents,[526]
Nor worthy of the name of my disciples:
If I had stood so nigh, I would have cut
That Bishop’s throat but I'd have had his place,
And told the Queen a love-tale in her ear
Would make her best pulse dance: there’s no elixir
Of brain or spirit amongst ’em.
ERROR. Why, would you have them play against
themselves?
That’s quite against the rule of game, Ignatius.
IGN. Pish, I would rule myself, not observe rule.
ERROR. Why, then, you’d play a game all by yourself.
IGN. I would do any thing to rule alone:
’Tis rare to have the world reign’d in by one.[527]
ERROR. See ’em anon, and mark ’em in their play;
Observe, as in a dance, they glide away. [_Exeunt the
two Houses._
IGN. O, with what longings will this breast be tost,
Until I see this great game won and lost! [_Exeunt._