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Article CHIT CHAT. Page 1 of 4 →
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Chit Chat.
CHIT CHAT .
FREEMASONRY AND THE GAME OF CHESS . —We have received a very interesting paper on this subject from Bro . George Crook , W . M ., No . G 71 , P . G . M ., Monmouth , and we publish the following extract : — " I know not whether it has ever been remarked ( at all events , I have neither heard nor seen it ) , that there exists an apparent connection between the ancient art and mystery of Masonry , and the scarcely less ancient and scientific game of chess .
" That the game of chess is of oriental origin , I believe to be universally admitted ; and it would seem that the game is , in some measure , founded on the true principles of Masonry , which we are likewise told , ' corned ffyrste ffromme the Este . ' " The form of the board , on which the game is played , is ' quadrilateral , ' and is divided into sixty-four rectangular chequers or squares , alternately black and whiteand so far be considered emblematical
; may of the floor or ground of a masonic lodge . The moves of the several pieces are strictly in accordance with the principles of Masonry , being uniformly that of right lines and angles , the peculiar move of the knight being that of the square . Furthermore , it would seem that , as regards its antiquity , it is almost coeval with Masonry itself , being
mentioned in the oldest law books , and is said to have been invented b y the wife of Ravan , king of Lanca ( i . e . Ceylon ) , in order to amuse him , while his metropolis was closely besieged by Rama , in the second age of the world . Rama , according to Sir William Jones ' s chronology of the Hindus , appeared on the earth , at least three thousand eight hundred years ago . The most irreconcileable part of the matter is , that the game of chess has always , more or less , been considered a military game , or a species of mimic warfarewhileon the contrarythe object of Masonry
; , , is ' peace and good-will towards man . ' Nevertheless , Hutchinson informs us that the square was the figure under which the Israelites formed their encampments in the wilderness , and under which they fortified or defended the holy tabernacle , sanctified with the immediate presence of the Divinity . There is a problem shown by Demoivre , by which all the squares on the board may be covered by the knight in sixty-four moves . This is agreeable to the rules of Geometryor
, Masonry , whichever we may please to term it . "Should the above hypothesis appear worthy of note , perhaps you will favour me by giving insertion to the same in your next journal , and thereby be the means of causing some further research into what must be allowed to be an interesting , if not very ingenious and novel theory , and one which our chess-playing brethren may possibly think worthy of consideration .
" I may observe that there is a game , played on a board with 100 squares , called arch-chess . " I think it not improbable that chess may be played according to the strict rules of Geometry , and that such Problems only as are founded on that science are correct . "
A SILVER CUP has been manufactured for Louis Philippe , which was presented to the Lord Mayor ( Bro . Sir J . Duke , M . P . ) , as a souvenir in commemoration of his ex-Majesty ' s late visit to the Mansion House . DINNER TO BRO . THOMAS BRUTTON , LATE GOVERNOR OF THE COUNTY GAOL , STAFFORD . —The retirement of T . Brutton , Esq ., from the office
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chit Chat.
CHIT CHAT .
FREEMASONRY AND THE GAME OF CHESS . —We have received a very interesting paper on this subject from Bro . George Crook , W . M ., No . G 71 , P . G . M ., Monmouth , and we publish the following extract : — " I know not whether it has ever been remarked ( at all events , I have neither heard nor seen it ) , that there exists an apparent connection between the ancient art and mystery of Masonry , and the scarcely less ancient and scientific game of chess .
" That the game of chess is of oriental origin , I believe to be universally admitted ; and it would seem that the game is , in some measure , founded on the true principles of Masonry , which we are likewise told , ' corned ffyrste ffromme the Este . ' " The form of the board , on which the game is played , is ' quadrilateral , ' and is divided into sixty-four rectangular chequers or squares , alternately black and whiteand so far be considered emblematical
; may of the floor or ground of a masonic lodge . The moves of the several pieces are strictly in accordance with the principles of Masonry , being uniformly that of right lines and angles , the peculiar move of the knight being that of the square . Furthermore , it would seem that , as regards its antiquity , it is almost coeval with Masonry itself , being
mentioned in the oldest law books , and is said to have been invented b y the wife of Ravan , king of Lanca ( i . e . Ceylon ) , in order to amuse him , while his metropolis was closely besieged by Rama , in the second age of the world . Rama , according to Sir William Jones ' s chronology of the Hindus , appeared on the earth , at least three thousand eight hundred years ago . The most irreconcileable part of the matter is , that the game of chess has always , more or less , been considered a military game , or a species of mimic warfarewhileon the contrarythe object of Masonry
; , , is ' peace and good-will towards man . ' Nevertheless , Hutchinson informs us that the square was the figure under which the Israelites formed their encampments in the wilderness , and under which they fortified or defended the holy tabernacle , sanctified with the immediate presence of the Divinity . There is a problem shown by Demoivre , by which all the squares on the board may be covered by the knight in sixty-four moves . This is agreeable to the rules of Geometryor
, Masonry , whichever we may please to term it . "Should the above hypothesis appear worthy of note , perhaps you will favour me by giving insertion to the same in your next journal , and thereby be the means of causing some further research into what must be allowed to be an interesting , if not very ingenious and novel theory , and one which our chess-playing brethren may possibly think worthy of consideration .
" I may observe that there is a game , played on a board with 100 squares , called arch-chess . " I think it not improbable that chess may be played according to the strict rules of Geometry , and that such Problems only as are founded on that science are correct . "
A SILVER CUP has been manufactured for Louis Philippe , which was presented to the Lord Mayor ( Bro . Sir J . Duke , M . P . ) , as a souvenir in commemoration of his ex-Majesty ' s late visit to the Mansion House . DINNER TO BRO . THOMAS BRUTTON , LATE GOVERNOR OF THE COUNTY GAOL , STAFFORD . —The retirement of T . Brutton , Esq ., from the office