The Art of Fencing Part 5

In order to get time for this Redouble, you must make a half Thrust, immediately getting out of Measure, either with the Body Simply, or by the first Demarche backwards, or by leaping a little back; if the Enemy advances it will be either strait or making a Feint, or on your Sword; to the two first you must push strait _Quarte_, or _Seconde_, lowering the Body or volting, and if he comes on your Sword you must disengage and push over in _Tierce_.

The third Reprise is made when the Enemy upon your pushing _Quarte_ breaks Measure without or with parrying; to the one you must redouble in _Quarte_, with your Fort to his Feeble, which is done after a strait Thrust, Feint, Engagement, or Rispost; and if the Enemy parrys, you must likewise redouble forwards by a Disengagement, or a Cut under or over according to his Parade, or as Opportunity offers. To redouble forward, or make several Reprises following with ease, you must as often as you thrust follow with the left Foot.

_The_ Reprises _on the_ Outside.

If you push in _Tierce_ and your Adversary parrys with the Fort, you must redouble in _Seconde_, and if he parrys with the Feeble disengage to _Quarte_, advancing a little the left Foot that the Right may have the Liberty of a second Motion.

If the Enemy after parrying _Tierce_ shou'd Rispost strait or under, to the first you may disengage and volt, and to the other volt strait, advancing the left Foot a little in Lunging, in order to have the Liberty of Volting, because you cannot easily do it when you are extended: It is more easy to take the Time opposing with the left Hand; and 'tis best of all to parry and thrust strait in _Quarte_; if after having pushed _Tierce_, on your Recovery to Guard, you find you have the Command of the Enemy's Sword, or that he advances uncovered, you, must in these Cases push strait in _Tierce_ if he disengage you must take the time and push _Quarte_, if he comes to your Sword with his Fort, you must cut under in _Seconde_, if with his Feeble, disengage in _Quarte_, it is also good after having pushed _Tierce_ to recover with your Sword high, giving Light under, and if the Enemy pushes there, you must take the Time opposing with the left Hand, or Parry and Rispost.

It is good likewise for a Decoy to make a half Thrust and recover with the Sword quite distant from you Body, and if the Enemy comes to your Sword, you must disengage and thrust at his Open, and if he makes at your Body, you must volt or oppose with the Hand and thrust where you have Light.

The Reprises or Redoubles in advancing are made in _Tierce_ by the same Rules as those within are. That is to say, either strait, or by disengaging or cutting over or under, according as the Enemy either lets you make your Thrust, or goes to his Parade.

All these Redoubles may be made on a Rispost as well as on other Lunges.

CHAP. XVI.

_Of pa.s.sing_ Quarte _within the Sword._

A Pa.s.s is contrary to a Volt as well in Figure as in it's Occasion, the left Leg in the Figure pa.s.sing foremost, and in a Volt behind, to help the Body to turn, and in it's occasion, the Pa.s.s being to be made as in a Lunge, taking the Time, or his Time, whereas the Volt cannot be made without a great deal of Time; yet the Pa.s.s is different from a Lunge, the one being made with the foremost Foot, and the Pa.s.s with the hindmost, which gives the Thrust a greater Length, more Strength and Swiftness, and a greater Facility of taking the Feeble with your Fort, the Body goes further, because the Center from which it departs in a Lunge is in the left Foot, and in a Pa.s.s in the right Foot which is more advanced, and also because in pa.s.sing you advance the Left Foot more than you do the Right in Lunging, and the Parts being higher on a Pa.s.s than in a Lunge there is a greater Facility of taking the Feeble with your Fort.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 9th Plate. A Pa.s.s in Quart.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Lowering the Body on the Pa.s.s.]

In a Pa.s.s in _Quarte_, the Hands and Arms must be displayed as in a Lunge, not only in their Figure, but in the same Order, that is to say, the Hand must move first to bring on the Shoulder and the Body; which should lean more forward than in Lunging, at the Time that carrying the left Foot about two Foot and an half, you find your Pa.s.s at it's full Extention. As your Body is too much abandoned forward to recover itself easily, you must rush on your Enemy, seize the Guard of his Sword, and present him your Point, which is done by advancing the right Foot to such a Distance as to be out of the reach of his Leg whilst you advance, which otherwise might give him an Opportunity, by Tripping to throw you down. As you advance the right Foot you must seize the Guard of his Sword, at the same time drawing back your Sword, keeping it high. Then you must carry your right Foot behind the Left to almost the Distance of a Lunge, in Order to be strong, as well to avoid his pulling you forward, as to draw him to you.

If the Enemy parrys the Pa.s.s with his Fort, you must only join, commanding his Sword with your Fort, 'till you have seized his Guard with the left Hand, which must be done at the Time that you advance the right Foot, carrying your Sword from the Inside to the Out, then you must bring the left Foot to the side of the right, and bring back the right presenting the Sword to the Enemy.

If he parrys with his Feeble, you must, without stopping, either cut over his Point from within to without, or turn the Wrist in _Seconde_, lowering your Body, and bringing up the right Foot seize his Guard, then carrying your Sword from within to without, you advance the left Foot to the side of the right, and drawing back the right present your Sword.

The easiest means to avoid and hit a Man who pa.s.ses in _Quart_ within are to parry dry and Rispost swiftly in the Flank, and if the Pa.s.s is made straight along the Blade with the Fort to your Feeble, you must by lowering your Feeble, turn your Wrist in _Quarte_ carrying the Point perpendicularly down, supporting the Wrist, without, and bringing your Sword round by the Outside of the Adversary's Shoulder, you find your Sword above his, with your Point to his Body. You may also upon the same Pa.s.s lower the Body and push _Seconde_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 10th Plate. The Turning the Body on a Pa.s.s in Tierce.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pa.s.s in Seconde Volting the Body.]

_To Pa.s.s in_ Tierce.

In pa.s.sing _Tierce_, as in a Lunge, the Wrist must draw the Shoulder and Body forward, bringing, as in a Pa.s.s in _Quarte_, the Left-foot about two Feet and an Half before the Right, then advancing the Right foremost and out of the Reach of the Enemy's; you must seize the Guard of his Sword, and again advancing the Left-foot near the Right, you draw back the Right and present the Point.

The Counters or Opposites to this Pa.s.s, are the strait Rispost, or the Rispost under, the taking Time, cutting _Seconde_ under, disengaging, or counter disengaging and volting, but the surest is to loosen the Right-foot turning the Body half round to the right, opposing with the Sword and presenting the Point to the Enemy, which hindering him from hurting you, throws him on your Point if he abandons himself, and at the same time you seize the Guard of his Sword. _See the 10th_ Plate.

_To Pa.s.s in_ Seconde.

In pa.s.sing _Seconde_, there must, as in a Lunge, be a preparatory Motion, which is made by a Feint, or by an Engagement on the Blade to oblige the Enemy to parry high, in order to take that Time to pa.s.s under, which is done by advancing the Left-foot very much, with the Body lower and more forward than in other Pa.s.ses, and advancing the Right-foot, you seize the Enemy's Sword, bringing yours from under over, and advancing the Left-foot to the Side of the Right, you draw back the Right presenting the Point. You must take notice, that in a Pa.s.s in _Quarte_ with it's Joining, there are but three Steps, and that in the Pa.s.ses in _Tierce_ and _Seconde_ there are four. The first, pa.s.sing the Left-foot before the Right; the second, advancing the Right to seize the Sword; the third, bringing up the Left-foot a little, and the fourth, bringing back the Right, presenting the Point.

In order to avoid, and to hit the Enemy on his Pa.s.s, besides parrying and pushing strait, as in the Thrust lunged in _Seconde_, in the 6th Plate, you may also make a strait Thrust, opposing with the Left-hand, or by volting, as is shewn in the Cut of the 10th Plate.

Tho' a Pa.s.s carries along with it, as I have observed, a greater Extension and Swiftness than a Lunge, yet as you cannot recover from it, it should be seldom practised, especially if you are not the strongest, or able in three attacks to hit twice, there being nothing more disagreeable to the Sight than to see several Pa.s.ses made without hitting. But it is otherwise in Lunges, by reason of the Liberty of recovering and parrying.

Pa.s.ses were more used formerly than they are now, whether it was to endeavour to bring them to Perfection, or because it has been found that this Sort of Play was not so sure.

CHAP. XVII.

_Of volting the Body._

The Volting of the Body, which many People call _Quarting_, shou'd never be done but at times when you are abandoned, as in Case of Lunges or on an Engagement of Feint in Disorder, of when finding yourself so disordered as not being able to parry, you must of necessity have recourse to volting in order to avoid the Thrust; but to do it at an improper time, as some do, is very dangerous, by reason of the Facility of parrying it, it being a Figure in Fencing which gives the least Strength, Extention, of Swiftness to a Thrust; besides that presenting the Flank and Small of the Back, the Adversary, in order to hit these Parts, has nothing to do but parry with his point a little within and low.

In volting you must begin with the Arms and Left-foot, by whose a.s.sistance you turn the body; the Hands shou'd turn in _Quarte_, the Right as in a Lunge or Pa.s.s, and the Left more without; you must at the same time turn upon the Point of the Right-foot, bringing the Heel outwards, and the Left-foot behind the Right, a little farther outwards, which gives the Body almost the Figure of a Left-handed Man; having turned about a Quarter round, the Body in this Posture must necessarily be in Disorder. _See the 10th Plate_.

Having finished these Motions, if you find, for want of the Enemy's having suficiently abandoned himself, that you have not an Opportunity of Joining, you must without stirring the Body or Left-foot, return with your Sword on the Enemy's, and from his Sword to his Body, and from the Body to the Sword, as often as you shall see proper, which may be easily done, your Thrusts being but of small Extension, as well by reason of the Action of the Enemy coming to you, as by the Advancement of the Volt; you should, at the same time, oppose with the Left-hand, to avoid the Thrusts that the Enemy might make upon the Time of yours; by this means you may easily come to Guard again, or if he retires you may push at him, the Left-foot by it's Advancement having given a great Advantage to your Thrust, and if instead of retiring, he has a mind to join, you must prevent him by seizing the Guard of his Sword, presenting your Point to him.

If in an a.s.sault the Foil be entangled in the Shirt or elsewhere, or that in Battle the Sword be too far entered, or that the Enemy lay hold on the Blade; in these Cases you must shift your Sword to the other Hand, which is done after the Volt, advancing your Right-foot, taking hold of your Blade with the Left-hand about four inches from the Guard, whilst with the Right you seize his Guard, and drawing back your Sword you present him the Point.

Tho' Volting is not best in Combat, yet it may on some Occasions be necessary, besides it is my Business to speak of them, at the same time advising that 'tis much better to make use of Parades and Risposts, than of Time of what Sort soever.

The Joining on a Volt is the same as on pa.s.sing in _Quarte_.

CHAP. XVIII.

_Of Joining or seizing the_ Sword.

You may join after having parryed any Thrust or Pa.s.s whatever, as also after having pushed, pa.s.sed, or volted in whatever Figure, or on whatever Side it may be, especially when the Enemy abandons himself, or you abandon yourself: If the Enemy abandons himself by a Lunge or Pa.s.s; in case of the first, you must close the Measure in parrying, seizing at the same time the Guard of his Sword with your Left-hand and carrying the Right-foot back present him the Point; and in case of a Pa.s.s, you must parry with your Feet firm, and seize his Guard, drawing back the Right-foot and presenting your Point in like Manner.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 11th Plate The Seizing and presenting the Sword.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Parrying and Disarming.]

If you have pushed being too near, that your Right-foot slipped, or that the Enemy in parrying closed Measure; if he parryed with his Feeble you must redouble in _Seconde_ and join, and if with his Fort, you must oppose his Sword with your's 'till with your Left-hand you have seized the Guard, advancing the Left-foot; this Motion being done, you pa.s.s your Sword over the Enemy's from within to without; and loosing the Right-foot present him your Point.

Upon the Parade of _Tierce_ with the Fort, being near you must join, seizing the Guard, advancing the Left Leg, and drawing back the Right, and present the Point; or you may, before you join, cut under in _Seconde_; the first is surer at the Sword, and the other more beautiful in an a.s.sault where a Thrust is more esteemed, than joining.

If on a Pa.s.s or Lunge the Enemy shou'd attempt to join or seize your Sword, you must, in order to prevent him, change it from the Right-hand to the Left, four Inches from the Guard, as I have already observed, seizing his with the Right-hand, and presenting him the Point, holding it at such a Length as to hit him whilst he is unable to come near you.