Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/115

Rh with ornament and literally sparkling with jewels while the seats of the spectators were heavy with gold and silver embroidery, and the dresses of them that sat therein were extravagant in fantastic freak and reflected untold wealth. The presentation of rich prizes, distributed by the fairest in the land to the victorious competitors, completed the entertainment, and the night was spent in feast and dance.

Nevertheless, there must have been many long, dark evenings indoors between the months of November and February, when the dim lights in hall and bedroom made work impossible. Chess was still the favourite game with the upper classes, as it had been with their forefathers. The game was played for money, often for very high stakes, and it is no matter of surprise to learn that in those days of strong passions and lack of self-control feeling ran high, and the game gave rise to constant quarrels and hot disputings, ending not infrequently in bloodshed. The chessmen were elaborately carved and large enough to be formidable when hurled at an adversary in rage. Indeed, there is more than one instance in history of an opponent being brained with a chess-board, of knives being drawn