Collation: [1-8⁸ 9¹⁰]: 74 leaves, leaves [1]/1 and [9]/10 blank.
Date from colophon (leaf [9]/9r): Fynysshid of the last day of marche of the yer of our lord god .a. thousand foure honderd and lxxiiii.
GW dates as after 31 March 1474.
Paper format: Chancery folio
PML copy leaf dimensions: 25.6 x 18.1 cm
PML copy missing 2 leaves: [1]/1 and [9]/10 (blanks). Staining on leaves [1]/2 and [9]/8-9, affecting some text; damage erasing several words on leaf [7]/4r.
Printed in Caxton's type 1:120B.
Printing also attributed to William Caxton at Bruges.
Title from Prologue (leaf [1]/1r): To the right noble/ right excellent [and] vertuous prince George duc of Clarence Erle of Warwyk and of salisburye/ grete camberlayn of Englond [and] leutenant of Ireland oldest broder of kynge Edward by the grace of god kynge of England and of frau[n]ce/ your most humble servant william Caxton amonge other of your survantes sendes unto yow peas. helthe. Joye and victorye upon your Enemyes... Therefore I have put me in devour to translate a lityll book late comen in to myn handes out of frensh in to englisshe/ In which I fynde thauctorites. dictees. and stories of auncient Doctours philosophes poetes and of other wyse men which been recounted [and] applied unto the moralite of the publique wele as well of the nobles as of the comyn peple after the game and playe of the chesse...
Translated by William Caxton, from the French of Jean de Vignay.
The play of chess
Hand decoration: Unrubricated, lombards unrealized. Annotations: Minimal contemporary English notations in text. Multiple inscriptions, including: "Jesus est amor mens et virgo Maria sit mihi ampliat[?]rum" (leaf [9]/9v). Dated 1490 (leaf [9]/9v).