so by a pou_er_e man; he hath not, but when he
comyth to e deth with pacience, en shall he be a kyng in
heuen, w_i_t_h_ e kyng of pore men. But if he grucche ayenst his
neighbour of his stat, and be a thef, and ravissh at wher he may,
en he is ytake, and put in to the p_re_son of helle. The secund,
f_cil_. alphyn, renneth iij. poyntes both vpward and douneward; [he]
betokenyth wise men, the whiche by deceyuable eloquence & takyng of
money deceyueth, & so he is made oonly. The iij. _scil._ e kny3t,
hath iij. poyntes, & goth _er_with; [he] betokenyth gentilmen
at rennyth aboute, & ravisshith, and ioyeth for her kynrede, &
for habundaunce of richesse. The fourth, s_cil._ e rook, he
holdith length & brede, and takith vp what so is in his way; he
betokenyth okerers and false m_er_chaunt3, at rennyth aboute ouer
all, for wynnyng & lucre, & rechith not how thei geten, so that thei
haue hit. The fifthe is e quene, that goth fro blak to blak, or
fro white to white, and is yset befide e kyng, and is ytake fro
the kyng. This quene bytokenyth virgyns and damesels, at goth fro
chastite to synne, and beth ytake by the devill, for glovis or such
man_e_r yiftis. The vj. is to whom all owe to obey and mynystre; and
he goth forth, and bakward ayen, & in either side, & takith ouer all;
so sone discendith in to e world, and ascendith to god by
praiers; But when he takith [no] kepe of god, and hath no meyne,
an is hit to e man chekmate. And _er_fore let vs not
charge of oure estatis, no more an is w_i_t_h_ e men, when
ei be put vp in e poket; then hit is no charge who be above
or who be byneth; and so by the Spirit of loulynesse we may come to
e ioy of heven. And at graunt vs, _qui viuit_ &c."

It is not, therefore, surprising to learn that Jacques de Cessoles found
texts for sundry sermons on the game that formed so favourite a
diversion of clergy and laity. The favour with which these discourses
were received no doubt gratified the worthy Dominican father. At the
request of some of those who heard them he began to write down the
substance of his sermons. The result was the "Liber de moribus Hominum
et officiis Nobilium ac Popularium super ludo scachorum," which
immediately attained great popularity. This is shown by the bibliography
of Dr. A. Van der Linde in a striking manner, for he has described two
hundred codices to be found in the various public libraries