Harrwitz disliked being called a small German by
Staunton because it savoured too strongly of the sausage element,
saying if he makes sausage meat of me I will make mincemeat
of him.
Staunton pretended sometimes not to see Harrwitz, and would
look round the room and even under the chairs for him when he
was sitting at his elbow, which greatly annoyed Harrwitz, who,
however, sometimes got a turn, and was not slow to retaliate. In
a game one day, Staunton materially damaged his own prospects
by playing very tamely and feebly, and testily complained--"I
have lost a move." Harrwitz told the waiter to stop his work,
and search the room until he had found Staunton's lost move, and
his manner of saying it caused a degree of merriment by no
means pleasing to the English Champion.
Staunton was considered full-blooded, and his amiable French
opponent, who used to play for 5 pounds a game no doubt thought he
expressed himself favorably and forcibly when he said he is
one very nice, charmant man, but he is a "---- fool."
Staunton's celebrated stories about Lowenthal and Williams,
though very amusing to chess ears, I omit for obvious reasons,
though extremely funny as Staunton originally told them, and
as MacDonnell repeats them, they are probably not strictly founded
on fact, and are lacking of the respect to which the memories of
two such amiable and chivalrous chess players as Williams and
Lowenthal are entitled.
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