Life of Philidor, Musician and Chess-Player #230891

Now many Lives of Philidor have been written, in the lhape of articles in works of general and fpecial Biography; but they differ fingularly from each other, in reference to the ufe made in them of the above defcribed original authorities. Of courfe, none but fuch as have been written fince 1847 could exhibit anything derived from the matter furnilhed in saint-amant's Palamédc. But of the others — and they are nearly all it is a curious fact, that none but fuch as have been written by Chefs-authors (and I might even fay by Engli/b Chefs-authors) have lhewn any knowledge whatever of the Anecdote: of Twifs. Hence Mr. George Walker's very agreeable Biographical Sketcb (prefixed to his edition of the Andy/i5, in 1832) and the appro priate chapter in Mr. Tomlinfon's delightful Arctic/e mcrm Cbcy}, both hafed upon Twifs, are by far the bell of all that appeared before André Philidor'spofihu mous notice. As to Freud: Chefs-authors, all they have of Twifs has been obtained'at fecond hand: the flight and inaccurate Biographic, for example, in the firfi volume of La Bourdonnais's Palamédc — the production, molt likely, of the lazy and carelefs King of the Chefs board himfelf — is made up from the biograp/jz'cal Sketch of Mr. Walker; and the brief notice in the Comte de Baflerot's mofl attractive Narmada Traité élé mamaire appears to be hafed direétly upon the cor refponding chapter in the Amy/imam: of Mr. Tom linfon.