The Art of Fencing Part 2

_Of the Parade of Quart._

To parry, signifies, in our Art, to cover when the Adversary pushes, that Part which he endeavors to offend; which is done it either by the Opposition of the Sword or of the Left Hand; but as I am now speaking of the Sword only, I must observe; that in order to parry well with it, you are to take notice of the Manner and Swiftness of your Adversary: By the Manner, is meant whether in _Quart_ or _Tierce_; with his Fort to your Feeble, or with his Feeble to your Fort; and you are to observe the Swiftness of his Thrust, that you may regulate your Parade accordingly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 3rd. Plate. Parade of Quart.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Parade of Quart opposing with the hand.]

When a Thrust is made with the Fort to your Feeble, which is the best way; you must, by raising and turning the Hand a little in _Quart_, raise the Point, which brings it nearer to you, and hinders the Adversary from gaining your Feeble, which being raised up is too far from him, and makes it easy for you to seize his Feeble. (Refer to the 3d. Plate.)

If the Thrust be made on the Fort or Middle of your Sword, you need only turn the Hand a little in _Quart_.

If after the Adversary has pushed _Quart_, he pushes _Seconde_; you must parry with the Fort, bringing it nearer to you, and for the greater Safety, or to avoid other Thrusts, or the taking Time on your return, you must oppose with the left hand, which hinders him from hitting you as he meets your Thrust, and from parrying it, for want of having his Sword at Liberty. (Refer to the 7th Plate.)

The same Opposition may be made on a Lunge in _Quart_, and to be more safe in returning Thrust or Thrusts, you must close the Measure in parrying, which confounds the Enemy, who finds himself too near to have the Use of his Sword: Your Sword, in parrying, must carry it's Point lower and more inward than in the other Parades.

If the Adversary makes a Thrust, with shortning or drawing back his Arm, or leaving his Body open; you must defend with the Left Hand, and lunge strait on him, unless you had rather parry with the Sword, making use of the Opposition of the Hand, and closing the Measure, as I just now observed.

You may also parry in disengaging,[2] drawing back the Body to the Left, in order to give the Hand Time and Facility to make the Parade.

There are several other Parades, of which I shall treat in their proper Places, confining myself now to the most essential.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 4th. Plate. A Lunge in Tierce.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tierce Parryed.]

CHAP. V.

_Of pus.h.i.+ng_ Tierce _without_, or _on the Outside of the Sword_.

In order to push _Tierce_ well, the Hand being gone first, taking the Feeble with the Fort, turning down the Nails, and the Wrist a little outwards, not too high or low; in order not to give Light above or below, the Body must bend more forward and inward than in _Quart_; the Left Hand should extend itself in _Tierce_, because it ought, in all Cases, to be conformable with the Right, except that it is lower. When you push _Tierce_, you should look within your Sword: As to the Feet, they must be, in every Lunge, on the same Line, and at the same Distance.

The Rules I have laid down for recovering in _Quart_, will serve also in _Tierce_, but of the contrary Side.

_Parade_ of Tierce.

To parry a Thrust made with the Fort to the Feeble, you must turn the whole Hand, carrying it a little outwards, raising the Point, in order to avoid the Adversary's taking your Feeble, and at the same time take His. _See the 4th_ Plate.

If a Thrust be made on the Middle, or Fort of your Sword, you need only turn the Hand, carrying all the Blade equally outwards. Some Masters teach to parry this Thrust with the Hand in _Quart_, which is very dangerous if the Enemy pushes _Quart_ over the Arm in the Fort, or _Quart_ within, in the Feeble, there being an Opening in one, as well as the other Case; besides the Point is too far from the Line, to make a quick Return.

To avoid the Return of a Thrust when you have pushed _Tierce_, and that the Adversary, in parrying, has gained to your Feeble; you must, by raising and opposing with the Fort, bring the Pommel of your Sword on high; so that the Point be downwards; whereby his Point will be near your Left Shoulder, and you, not only avoid being hit, but you may make a Thrust at the same time, by opposing with the Left Hand, and for the greater Safety, you must return on the Blade, and push strait, without quitting it. _See the 5th_ Plate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 5th Plate. Parade of Tierce yeilding the Feeble.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: The same parade & opposition of the hand.]

When a Thrust is made in _Tierce_ upon the Blade on the Feeble, or by disengaging; tho' the first is more easily parryed, you must yeild the Feeble, opposing with the Fort, in order to guide the Adversary's Sword to the Place the most convenient for the Opposition of the Left Hand, and closing the Measure at the same time, you have an Opportunity, before he can recover, to hit him several times; which must be done by advancing on him, as fast as he retires. _See the 5th_ Plate.

You may also parry by disengaging, drawing the Body back. The Return is easy, by pus.h.i.+ng _Quart_; and to avoid a second Thrust from the Enemy at the Time of your Return, you must oppose with the Left Hand. _See the 5th_ Plate.

CHAP. VI.

_Of pus.h.i.+ng_ Seconde.

In pus.h.i.+ng under, the Hand must be turned in _Seconde_, as high as in _Quart_, and more within than in _Tierce_; the Body should be more bent, lower, and more forward than in thrusting _Tierce_, and the Left Hand lower. _See the 6th_ Plate.

Seconde ought not be pushed, but on the following Occasions: First, when an Engagement, _Feint_ or _Half-Thrust_, is made without, that the Adversary at one of these Times parrys high. Secondly, when your Adversary engages your Sword on the Outside, with his Hand raised high; or on the Inside, with his Feeble only; and thirdly, upon a Thrust or Pa.s.s, within or without.

The Recovery in Guard, should be in _Quart_ within the Arm, though most Masters teach to recover on the Outside, which takes much more Time, and though the _Seconde_ is independent on the Side, it is nearer to the Inside than to the Outside; because the Adversary carries his Wrist to the Outside, when he gives an Opportunity of making this Thrust; therefore you ought to return to his Sword in the shortest Time, in order to be sooner on your Guard. If you examine this Parade, you will find it is the only Means of recovering with Safety.

What introduced the Manner of returning to the Sword on the Outside, was the false Method formerly used in parrying the _Seconde_ by beating on the Blade; in _Tierce_, with the Point downwards; so that the Adversary not being able to return but above, there was a Necessity for returning to the Sword on the Outside in order to defend; but the Parade and Return being no longer the same, the Manner of returning to the Sword must also be different.

CHAP. VII.

_The Parades of_ Seconde.

_Seconde_ may be parried three Ways. First, according to the ancient Manner I just described, which is done by a Semi-circle on the Inside, with the Hand in _Tierce_, the Point low, almost on a Line with the Wrist; but the Greatness of the Motion does not only render it difficult to parry the Thrust but still harder to parry the Feint of the Thrust and come up again; besides the _Rispost_ is dangerous; because it requires a long Time to raise the Point, which is almost as low as the Ground, to the Body; in which Time, the Adversary has not only an Opportunity of parrying the Thrust, but also of hitting you whilst you are bringing up your Point.

Secondly, _Seconde_ may be parryed by making a Half-circle on the Outside, the Wrist in _Quart_, as high as the Shoulder, the Arm extended, and the Point very low. _See the 7th_ Plate. It is less dangerous, and more easy for the _Rispost_ than the former, which must be made as soon as you have parryed, by pus.h.i.+ng strait in _Quart_ which the Adversary having pushed under, can hardly avoid, but by yeilding, and battering the Sword. _See the 7th_ Plate.

To this Manner of parrying _Seconde_, there is but one Opposite, which is done by _feinting_ below, and as the Adversary is going to cross your Sword, in order to parry, you must disengage by a little Circle, with the Hand in _Seconde_, which preventing the Enemy's Sword, gives an Opportunity of hitting him above, if the Wrist is lower than I have observed, or in _Flanconnade_, if the Wrist is high. A Man that parrys below, in order to avoid this _Feint_, must redouble his Circle to meet the Blade. This Parade is best in recovering, after having pushed, not only to avoid the strait or low _Rispost_, but also any Feint or Thrust.

The third and best Parade, is made with your Fort to the Middle of the Adversary's Sword, the Wrist turned in _Quart_, but a little lower: The _Rispost_ of this Parade is very good, when you know how to bind the Sword upon the _Rispost_; and it cannot be parryed without returning to the Parade that I have here, before, described and which, I believe, is peculiar to myself.

This Parade is by so much the more adventageous, as the _Rispost_ is easy the Sword being near the Adversary's Body, which makes it, more difficult for him to avoid you; besides, by this Parade, you are in better Condition to parry, not only a Thrust below, but also any other Thrusts and Feints, the Sword being near the Situation of Guard.

CHAP. VIII.

_Of_ Quart _under the Wrist_.

This Thrust should not be made but instead of _Seconde_, that is to say, on an Engagement, Parade, or Lunge of the Adversary in _Quart_.