It was from Vida that Sir William Jones obtained the idea
of his poem Caissa, which Mr. Peter Pratt described in his Studies
of chess as an "elegant embellishment" an "admired effusion"
and a classical offering to chess. In the Introduction is found:
To THE READER, GREETING. Strange perchance may it seem
to some (courteous Reader) that anie man should employ his time
and bestow his labour in setting out such bookes, whereby men
may learn to play, when indeede most men are given rather to
play, than to studie and travell, which were true, if it were for
the teaching of games unlawfull, as dice play, or cogging, or
falsehoods in card play, or such like, but forasmuch as this game
or kingly pastime is not only devoid of craft, fraud, and guile,
swearing, staring, impatience, fretting and falling out, but also
breedeth in the players a certaine studie, wit, pollicie, forecaste,
and memorie not only in the play thereof, but also in action of
publick government, both in peace and warre, wherein both
Counsellors at home and Captaines abroade may picke out of these
wodden pieces some prettie pollicie both how to govern their
subjects in peace, how to leade or conduct lively men in the field
in warre: for this game hath the similitude of a ranged battell,
as by placing the men and setting them forth on the march
may very easily appeare.
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