Quote#Courage
Of armies on the chequer’d field array’d
Quote byWilliam Jones · 1746–1794
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: "Caïssa: or, The Game at Chess" (wr. 1763), in Poems, Consisting Chiefly of Translations from the Asiatick Languages (1772) pp. 149–70. First two lines quoted in Willard Fiske, The Book of the First American Chess Congress (London: Sampson Low, Son & Co, 1859) p. 335. Compare: Marco Girolamo Vida, S.
English (original)
Of armies on the chequer’d field array’d, And guiltless war in pleasing form display’d; When two bold kings contend with vain alarms, In ivory this, and that in ebon arms.
— William Jones
More from William Jones
My opinion is, that power should always be distrusted, in whatever hands it is placed.
Than all Bocara's vaunted gold, Than all the gems of Samarcand.
What constitutes a state? Men who their duties know, But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain. And sovereign law, that state's collected will, O'er thrones and globes elate, Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill.
Go boldly forth, my simple lay, Whose accents flow with artless ease, Like orient pearls at random strung.
Seven hours to law, to soothing slumber seven, Ten to the world allot, and all to heaven.
Plato drew many of his notions (through Egypt, where he resided for some time) from the sages of Hindustán.