Prev | Current Page 166 | Next

Bird, H. E. (Henry Edward), 1830-1908

"Chess History and Reminiscences"

This is alone
sufficient to identify them; for as the Ptolemies were distinguished
by their surnames Philadelphus, Epiphanes, Soter &c., so were the
ancient Egyptian Kings by their peculiar titles, as is manifest
from the double scrolls by which their names are usually expressed.
>From the tomb of Ramses Mei-ammun, in the Biban-el-muluk,
Mr. Belzoni brought the cover of his sarcophagus of red granite,
ornamented with a recumbent figure of the deceased King in the
character of Osiris. It is now preserved in the Fitz-William
Museum at Cambridge, to which it was presented by that justly
regretted traveller.
CORRECTION. The 16th King of the 18th dynasty he must have been
if they were seventeen, for Sesostris in the tables is 1st King
of the 19th dynasty.
------
It is not unreasonable to infer that Egbert and even Offa, at
about the end of the Eighth century may have known chess,
which had become popular during their times, in Arabia, Greece,
Spain and among the Franks and Aquitaines, these Saxon
Kings were of an enquiring turn of mind, and not indifferent to
what was passing on in other countries. Two hundred and fifty
years had elapsed since chess had reached Persia, and
contemporary monarchs were not altogether strange to one another's
tastes and pursuits.


Pages:
154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178