370 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



Except that the king has his two 

 sons to support him, instead of a 

 queen, the game, in other respects, 

 is like ours. 



As the young man who had dis- 

 covered this to me, was of a commu- 

 nicative and obliging disposition, 

 srnd was at this time pursuing his 

 studies in the college of Canton, I 

 requested the favour of him to con- 

 sult such ancient books as might 

 give some insight into the period of 

 the introductionofChess into China; 

 to confirm, if possible, the idea that 

 struck me of its having originated 

 here. The acknowledged antiquity 

 of this empire, the unchangeable 

 state of her customs and manners, 

 beyond that of any other nation in 

 the world ; and more especially the 

 simplicity of the game itself, M'hen 

 compared to its compass and vaiiety 

 in other parts, appeared to give a 

 colour to my belief. That I was 

 riot disappointed in the event, I 

 have no doubt will be allowed, on 

 the perusal of the translation of a 

 manuscript extract, which my friend 

 Tinqua brought me, incompliance 

 with my desire; and which accotri- 

 panied by the Chinese manuscript, 

 goes under cover to your lordship. 

 As the Mandarin solemnly assured 

 me that he took it from the work 

 quoted, and the translaiion has been 

 as accurately made as possible, I 

 have no hesitation to deliver the 

 papers as authentic. 



In the pursuit of one curiosity I 

 flatter myself that I have stumbled 

 by accident on another, and have 

 gone some length to restore to the 



Chinese llie invention of gun-pow- 

 der, so long disputed with them by 

 the Europeans; but which the evi- 

 dence on their chess-board, in the 

 action of the rocket, seems to esta- 

 blish beyond a doubt. The in- 

 stitution of the game is likewise 

 discovered to form the principal aera 

 in the Chinese history ; since, by 

 the conquest of Shensi, the kingdom 

 was first connected in its present 

 form, and the monarch assumed the 

 title of emperor, as may be seen in 

 the extract which I have obtained 

 from their annals. 



From these premiseslhave there- 

 fore ventured to make the follow- 

 ing inferences : — That the game of 

 Chess is probably of Chinese origin. 

 That the confined situation and 

 powers ofthe king, resembling those 

 of a monarch in the earlier parts of 

 the world, countenance this suppo- 

 sition ; and that, as it travelled 

 westward, and descended to later 

 times, the sovereign prerogative ex- 

 tended itself, until it became unli- 

 mited, as in our state of the game. 

 That the agency of the princes, in 

 lieu of the queen, bespeaks forcibly 

 th*e nature of the Chinese customs, 

 which exclude females from all 

 poweror influence whatever; which 

 princes, in its passage through Per- 

 sia, were charged into a single 

 vizier, or minister of state, with the 

 enlarged portion of delegated au- 

 thority that exists there; instead of 

 whom, the European nation?, with 

 their usual gallantry, adopted a 

 queen on their hoard.* That the 

 river between the parties is exprcs- 



■ * That on the acquisition of so strong a piece as the vizier, the Pao were suppressed, 

 this as pos.scssins; powers unintelligible) at that time, toothernations; and three pawns 

 added, in consequenee, to make up the number of men ; and that ss distiphne im- 

 proved, the lines, which are straggling on the Chinese board, might, have been closed 

 on ouis. 



sue 



