has taken considerable pains on this subject in the essay above noticed; and the reason he assigns for the uncouth form of the pieces as made in Europe is very just, viz., that we received the game from the Arabs, who, as Mahommedans, being prohibited the use of paintings or engraved images, merely gave to their Chess pieces such distinct forms as enabled them to readily recognise them in play; and such arbitrary variation being once introduced, others naturally followed, according to the caprice or taste of each new innovator."

“But he differs from Dr. Hyde and Sir William Jones in respect to our Exchequer being named from the Chesstable; proving that the term was not directly so derived; but that is not proving it was not derived indirectly; for although the game of Chess might not have been known to the nations of modern Europe, so early as the Norman conquest, yet it appears from the check or reckoning board found at Pompeii, and from the Latin name Scaccarium,1 that the use of the table was very early known in Europe, and therefore Sir William Jones may still be right in deriving exchequer from Chaturanga. One remarkable coincidence in the Asiatic tables may be noticed; they are all subdivided into sixty-four squares, but not checkered."

"The piece we call the King is also so styled in all the games that I know, except the Chinese, who call it the Choohong, or scientific in war. The piece we call the Queen, the Honourable Mr. Barrington derives from the Persian Pherz or General, and exposes the absurdity of calling this piece a Queen by asking how we are to

1 This is altogether wrong. "Scaccarium is not a Latin word, but is evidently derived from "scachus,” or “scaccus,” a chessman," and consequently is of recent formation. Now scaccus itself is nothing more or less than the medieval Latinized form of "Shah," which last has nothing on earth to do with "Chaturanga."

metamorphose a Foot-soldier or Pawn into a Queen, as admitted in the English game, &c. Sir William Jones more correctly writes it Ferz, and adds, hence the French have derived Vierge, &c.' If so, the blunder arises from French gallantry. Vierge in French is Virgo, and consorted with the King, they, by a very natural transition, made their Virgin a Queen. But whence the Persian title of Ferz? Mr. Richardson merely informs us that Farz, Farzīn, Farzān, and Farzia, mean the Queen at Chess. The common term for this piece in the Persian language is Vizir or Wazir, a Minister, but in their emphatic way of writing and speaking, they have in this case made a noun substantive of a distinctive adjective, to denote the eminence of the piece, as I shall have further occasion to notice. Farz, or Farzān, therefore, neither means Queen nor General in a literal sense, but eminent, distinguished, &c. Farzi further means science, learning, wisdom, &c.

"The piece we call a Castle or Rook, the Honourable Mr. Barrington says, is derived from the Italian Il Rocco,

-but what is Il Rocco (the Castle) derived from? Sir William Jones says, "it were in vain to seek an etymology of the word Rukh in the modern Persian language, for in all the passages extracted from Firdausi and Jāmi, where Rukh is conceived to mean a hero, or a fabulous bird, it signifies, I believe, no more than a cheek or face.' My inquiries teach me, that in this instance, also, a name has been formed from a quality; and that in modern Persian Rookh means facing or bearing in a direct line; and applied to the Rukh at Chess, and its moves, is very appropriate; at the same time I have no doubt that the Persian word was originally derived with the game from the Hindus, who call the piece Roth and Rath, and denominate the Ship or Boat, which is substituted for

the Castle, either Naukā or Rokā.1 The corruption is as easy as the French Vierge, from Ferz, and the only difference is, that Persian pride has endeavoured to legitimise the blunder by assigning a reason for it.

"The pieces we call Bishops, the Honourable Mr. Daines Barrington says, are called by the French Fou or Fools, and supposes the epithet to have been bestowed on them by some wag, because Kings and Queens were anciently attended by fools. I am ready to admit that war is but too often the offspring of vice and folly, and that it is no great proof of wisdom in Bishops to forsake their habits of peace for war, but think it is refining a little too much to stigmatise them in particular as fools on that account. Sir William Jones, in my opinion, adduces a more legitimate derivation, supposing the Fol or Fou of the French (for it is pronounced both ways occasionally) to be derived from the Persian Fil, or Feel, an Elephant. In Italian these pieces are still denominated Il Alfino, or the Elephant, and so they were in England at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Perhaps the French Fou may have been derived from the Chinese Fou, the grave councillors who attend on the Choohong or General, and who have the same diagonal moves as the Bishops; and their mandarin caps may have been changed with their names for mitres, as we now see them engraved."

"The pieces we now call Knights or Horses have in general the same appellation in other languages. The Pawns, it is easy to perceive, are derived from Pãon (a foot) Hindūstānī, Piyāda Persian, and Padāti Sanskrit.

1 The Persian "Rukh" is evidently derived from "Roka." I consider its derivation from "Rath" or "Roth" to be very unsatisfactory, and fitted only to the taste of those ingenious etymologists, among whom, as Voltaire hath wittily said, "the consonants go for very little, and the vowels, for nothing." -F.

The learned Doctor Hyde says,' 'that the word Chess is derived from the Persian word Shah or King, which is often used in playing, to caution the King against danger. Hence Europeans and others have denominated the game Shachiludium and Shahiludium, and the English Chess.' The term Mate or Check-mate used at the termination of the game is from the Persian Shah-māt, the King is conquered or driven to the last distress. The Persians, also, have a term peculiar to themselves, to denote the advancement of a Pawn or Piyada. When it arrives at the last line of checks in the adversary's division, they say it is Farzin or distinguished, and in case the Vizir or Farz has been lost,2 it assumes its rank, and is distinguished by one of the adversary's Pawns being placed on the same square with it.

"When I sat down to write this letter, I had no idea of extending it to so great a length, nor had I, as you will easily perceive, formed any regular plan of discussion. I therefore fear it will not only be found tedious, but perplexed. Yet, however imperfect or unimportant in itself, I am induced to hope it will be received with indulgence, as tending to excite the inquiries of abler critics on a subject equally interesting and curious, and to produce that collision of mind whence truth is elicited."

I have the honour to remain, &c.,

HIRAM COX.

1 Dr. Hyde, in this, as in most other things, is correct.—F.

2 The Captain is out of his depth here. The Persian word for what we now call Queen is Farz, or Farzin. On reaching the opposite extremity of the board, a Pawn immediately became a Farzin, whether the original Vizir or Farz had been lost or not. Finally, the word Wazir or Vizir is pure Arabic and not Persian.-F.

CONCLUSION.

I now finish my HISTORY OF CHESS so far as my original plan extended, as fully detailed in the table of contents. I am well aware that it contains some imperfections, partly owing to the deficiency of my materials, and partly arising from my own inability to do the subject full justice. In not a few instances, the reader may observe that where positive evidence could not be produced, I have had recourse to what Voltaire calls "the science of judging," which simply consists in the weighing of probabilities.

I have, throughout, to the best of my power, endeavoured to follow THE BARD's advice, viz.—

"Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice;

and if I have occasionally expressed my opinions of men and things in general somewhat plainly and strongly, I can safely aver that it arose neither from malice nor uncharitableness. My sole object has been to dissipate illusions, and so far as possible to approximate the truth.

The late Mr. Francis Douce closes his Essay on Chess, &c., alluded to in page 200, with the following appropriate words, which I humbly apply in my own case, viz." I shall conclude with a wish that the foregoing observations may be in any degree serviceable or acceptable to those who may interest themselves in the most excellent game that the wit of man has yet devised. The subject is certainly difficult, and I am not without