The Game at chess. A metaphorical discourse showing the present estate of this kingdom. The Kings, the Queens, the Bishops, the Knights, the Rooks, the Pawns. The Knights signify the high Court of Parliament; The rooks, the cavaliers.   depiction of a game of chess between a parliamentarian and a royalist. 
London, Printed for Thomas Johnson, Febr. 2. Anno Dom. 1643.   

The Game at chess: A metaphorical Discourse, showing the present estate of this kingdom.  
TO discourse of the excellency and antiquity of the noble Game of chess, would require a far larger volume than my occasion will permit to write, my intention being only at the expression of this kingdom's affairs, which fitly may be Allegorically described by the battle of the chess; yet cannot I omit to tell you, that this chess is the ancientest of all games of that nature, being invented (as is credibly affirmed) by Xerxes, King of Persia, many years before the nativity of our Saviour, to avoid idleness among his soldiers, when he led those great and stupendious armies that leveled mountains, and drunk up rivers in their passage into Greece: and indisputably, it is allowed to be the most excellent and ingenious of all games, being far superior to Cards or Tables, which depend as much on the uncertain disposition of chance, as upon the gamester's skill or cunning, when this of chess is merely directed by the strength of wit and judgement: the Spaniard, whose gravity in carriage is famous above all Nations, having it in so much esteem, that they will allow any stranger to be a Gentleman that can play at the chess. But according to my promise, to avoid prolixity, I shall briefly to my promised Allegory.  
First, we must take into consideration, who are the principal combatants in this battle, and we shall find to be two different armies, Black and White; over each of which is a King, and Queen; their assistants, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, and pawns.  
And first for the King, he is the principal leader on of his men, the Queen as his lieutenant general, the Bishops his Counsellors, the Knights his supreme Officers, the Rooks and pawns his Gentlemen or Cavaliers, and mercenary soldiers. This being presupposed, the application of this allegorical Game will be very easily alluded to the present business of this realm.  
First, the black Army at chess, signifies justly and aptly his Majesties, which bath produced so many black and bloody effects in this kingdom, and so many plunderings, rapines and murders, that the beauteous face of this pleasant Land is bestained and bedewed with blood; the Inhabitants thereof beaten and terrified out of their peaceful dwellings, their goods despoiled and taken away by his majesty's Rooks, namely the Cavaliers: and if the Euxine sea is called the black sea, out of its black effects, certainly by the same reason that may be termed the blaoke Army.  
The white Army, which is the ensign and Badge of innocence, betokens the Parliaments Army, raised for the security and safety of the commonwealth, against the said black Army of Malignants. His Majesty moves as doth the king at chess; after the motion of his pawns, Rooks, Knights, Bishops and Queen; and according as they thrive is the success in the battle: how evidently is this paralleled with the King's proceedings. First his pawns move, these were those poor●e Courtiers, that to begin the afflictions of this kingdom first gave life to those fearful and oppressive Monopolies, begging such things to themselves as were destructive to the essence of the people's liberties, and the fundamental laws of this kingdom; and when they, like common soldiers, or forlorn hopes, had led the way to this game of death and destruction, forward steps the Rooks, viz. the Cavaliers, young Gentlemen of as desperate fortunes as conditions, and they fall pell-mell into the conflict, perceiving the white Knights, viz. the honourable the high Court of Parliament assembled to stop the violent torrent of the pawns proceedings, instill into his majesty, that there was no safety for him, against the endeavours of the white Knights, if he did not straight forsake their association, and betake himself to open hostility and arms, that so this kingdom, which in the precedent years of his father, and his own peaceful reign, had been governed by the laws and Justice; might fall into the hands of the soldiery, that they whose arms had long time rusted in ease might again be put into use, that they who had no estates at all might have a military licentious privilege to prey upon the estates of others, which how they have done is to the whole kingdom perspicuous; and communicating their intents with the black Knights, namely, such of his majesty's Cabinet-Councellors and the discontented Nobility (as either ambition, or their own passed crimes had rendered obnoxious to the just censure of the white Knights) they found them ready to assist their malevolent and ungracious purposes, and they in their degree, as they are at chess, being near the King, with open outcries, instill into his Majesties too credulous ears unheard jealousies, fears and suppositions, and intimated to him, that the white Knights intended to abridge his royal prerogative, and quite contrary to the dignity of Kings to confine the regal power to limits, and lessen his authority descendent to him from his Ancestors; but fearing their own persuasions would not be prevalent enough to set him into open hostility with the white Knights they draw into their confederay the Bishops, who apted for innovations readily joined in the conspiracy, telling his Majesty, that the purity of Religion was perverted; that divers new and unheard of schisms and Heresies were crept up in the Church, of which he was bound to be the defender; that the white Knights by reducing an Annarchy upon the Church, sought to inflict the same upon the sovereignty, that their power ecclesiastical being de jure Divino, was correlative and consubsistent with Majesty; and if that the one were taken away, the other could not stand, using all the subtle persuasions ambition and malice (which are two pernicious counsellors) could invent, to set afire the adust melancholy in His Majesty: the Queen too (wrought upon by their means) incensing the King to this dissension with the white Knights, namely, his Parliament, at last it took effect according to their wishes, and his Majesty pretending he could not be in safety at his own Palace, withdrew himself thence into the North, (after the transportation of his Queen) who, as his lieutenant general, was to furnish him from beyond the Seas with foreign supplies, and from the North, as the Proverb testifies, can come no goodness, and there drew his army of pawns and Rooks, Cavaliers and Malignants, Knight and Bishops, discontented, Nobility, Gentry and Clergy together, and with banner displayed, resolved to bid the white knight's battle; who seeing themselves so endangered by the malice of their enemies, began to bestir themselves, summoning their pawns, namely well-affected soldiers, their Rooks, valiant Gentlemen and loyal subjects; their Knights, those of the Nobility and Gentry, that stood for the good of the kingdom, and liberty of the Subject; their Bishops, the religious and untainted clergy, they created themselves in stead of a King and Queen, a lieutenant general, and a general to manage their army, and fight the Lord's battles against that black Regiment of Cavaliers, and so advanced toward the Enemy. The game at Edge-hill being now begun, first fell to it the pawns on both sides, the Rooks and Knights sighting with much fortitude and courage; the innocence of the cause on the white knight's side so animating their valiant pawns and Rooks, that on the black Rooks, the Cavaliers, they fell with much force and violence, disordering their ranks, taking divers of them prisoners, and slaughtering others; for the black Bishops, they were taken prisoners by the white ones, and their Knights; and according to the custom of chess, put into a bag, divers of them being imprisoned, and the wings of their authority which soared so high, clipped so near, that they can now fly no more than tame jackdaws. But yet the fight was not ended, those sturdy Knaves, the black Rooks, the Cavaliers, rallying themselves again together, and as it were leading His Majesty captive to Oxford, have there entrenched themselves, and made since divers attempts upon the white Knights forces, whose general (vigilant on all occasions that might advantage this party's cause, and secure the commonwealth) hath met those mischievous Rooks divers times, and given them strange and advantageous overthrows; yet they according to their natural condition, perverse and malignant, will not be persuaded to submit to authority, or to suffer the kingdom to be in peace, but with continual excursions and inroads, they invade the Subjects Estates and Persons that continue firm in their Allegiance to the King and the white Knights, plundering their Houses, and enforcing their wives and daughters to their lusts; so that the cry of their iniquity hath even ascended up to heaven, and called out on the divine omnipotence for vengeance against their bestial and abominable cruelties. The black Bishops in the mean time stirring up the people to their part, by wresting Texts of Scripture to serve their purpose, so that when this battle at the chess between the white and black Houses will be ended, surpasses my skill in prophecy, to determine. The only way to end this desperate conflict in my opinion, were if His sacred Majesty would be pleased to harken to the counsels of the white Knights, and reassociate himself with them; giving up his black pawns and Rooks, His Cavaliers and Malignants, to the impartial hands of Gregory, who would finish all their machinations and designs with a comfortable halter. If His highness would please to put the residue of His black Bishops into the same bag where their fellows are; and for His black Knights, give them up to be judged by their Peers, who would censure them with all equity according to their deserts, and so return to His proper residence with His Queen to London, and then no doubt this fatal game at chess would be finished, till when, it is likely to continue in full force and vigour.  
FINIS.