The Game of Chess Moralized

...for righteousness. And we also read of Socrates the philosopher that he had his eyes put out so that he would not see the prosperity that the wicked and dishonorable had, and the evils that the good suffered every day. This anecdote was commonly attributed to philosophers in the Middle Ages to illustrate their focus on inner truth over worldly injustice, though it is more often associated with Democritus in classical sources. But we also know of Socrates the philosopher that when the officials were leading him to die quickly and his wife was weeping after him and saying to them, "Alas, you have condemned an innocent man to death!" he replied, "Woman, be silent; is it not better for me to die innocent than to spend my life in sin?" And so did Xerces In this tradition of the chess treatise, Xerces (also known as Philometer) is the philosopher who invents chess as a tool for moral instruction. the philosopher who invented the novelty of this game; for he preferred to put his body in peril of death to defend righteousness than to live in the ease and peace of his time.

The three reasons for the game

cDecorative initial A in blue and red, containing a circular gold frame with a stylized radial or wheel-like pattern inside.Next follow the three reasons why Xerces the philosopher invented the novelty of this game.

¶ The first was for the correction of the King.

¶ The second was to take away his idleness.

¶ The third was to multiply the principles of nobility that he had found in this game.

¶ And it should be known regarding the first reason that when this King Evil-Merodach Original: "Emline-meradach." The Biblical son of Nebuchadnezzar, depicted here as a tyrant in need of reform. first saw this game, and that many dukes, knights, and barons played this game with the philosopher—which game was ordered and arranged like a battle—he marveled greatly at the beauty of the game, which was new and unfamiliar, so that he wanted to take part in the game and had a very great desire to learn the game. He ordered that they should fight by jousting at this game with the philosopher, and the philosopher responded to him...