Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/218

 1^8 Uifcory of Dome flic Manners tragical events which had occurred at the court of Britany, apparently in the earlier part of the fame century. Alan of Britany, perhaps the lall: of the name who had ruled over that country, had, at the fuggeftion of his wife, entrapped a feudatory prince, Remelin, and fubjefted him to the lofs of his eyes and other mutilations. Remelin's fon, Wigan, having efcaped a fimilar fate, made war upon Alan, and reduced him to fuch extremities that, through the interference of the king of France, he made his peace with Wigan, by giving him his daughter in marriage, and thus for many years the country remained in peace. But it appears that the lady always fliared in her father's feuds, and looked with exulting con- tempt on her father's mutilated enemy. One day fhe was playing with her hulband at chefs, and, towards the end of the game, Wigan, called away by fome important bufinefs, a&ed one of his knights to take his place at the cheff-board. The lady was the conqueror, and when Ihe made her laft move, Ihe laid to the knight, "^It is not to you, but to the fon of the mutilated that I fay 'mate.' " Wigan heard this farcafm, and, deeply oifended, hurried to the refidence of his father-in-law, took him by furprife, and inflicted upon him the fame mutilations which had been experienced by Remelin. Then, returning home, he engaged in another game with his wife, and, having gained it, threw the eyes and other parts of which her father had been deprived on the cheff-board, exclaim- ing, " I fay mate, to the daughter of the mutilated." The ftory goes on to fay that the lady concealed her defire of vengeance, until lire found an opportunity of effefting the murder of her hulband. We need not be furprifed if, among the turbulent barons of the middle ages, the game of chefs often gave rife to difputes and fanguinary quarrels. The curious hiftory of the Fitz-Warines, reduced to writing certainly in the thirteenth century, gives the following account of the origin of the feud between king John and Fulk Fitz-Warine, the out- law : — "Young Fulk," we are told, " was bred with the four fons of king Henry II., and was much beloved by them all except John ; for he ufed often to quarrel with John. It happened that John and Fulk were fitting all alone in a chamber playing at chefs ; John took the chefs- board and ftruck Fulk a great blow. Fulk felt himfelf hurt, raifed his foot