The Art of Fencing Part 6

In Joining, if you cannot seize the Guard, you must the Blade, helping with your Elbow, turning the Hand to break the Blade, or take away the sword, which may be done if you are cunning and nervous, especially if the Enemy's Wrist is in _Quarte_, in which there is no Danger of hurting yourself, because the Sword cannot slip thro', and consequently, can't cut your Fingers, as has happened to some by their Imprudence; by this Means, you have time not only to secure yourself, but also to hit your Enemy. Some People seize the Arm, but that is of no use, because the Enemy may change Hands and hit you.

You may throw a Man down after having pushed, either upon the Pa.s.s of _Quarte_ or _Tierce_; if in _Quarte_, it is done after advancing the Left-foot, crossing the Enemy's Sword with your Fort, and carrying your Right-leg without his, at the same time pus.h.i.+ng the Sword up from the Inside to the Out, and carrying the Right Arm to his Neck, and the Left to the Small of his Back: These three Actions must be done at the same time. There has been so much said on this Head, with the Joining without, that I shall say no more of it.

The Joining in Pa.s.ses within, without, and under, is the same as in their Lunges.

In whatever Manner you join you must present the Sword at a Distance, in order to hinder the Enemy from seizing it, or putting it off with his Left Hand to throw himself in upon you: If the Enemy shou'd make a Difficulty of yeilding up his Sword, you must, in order to frustrate his Hopes of closing you, and to make him follow you, draw back the Left-foot behind the Right, and the Right behind the Left, at such a Distance as to be strong, at the same time moving the Point of your Sword circularly; by this Means, you are in a Condition either of giving or taking his Life, which you would not be if he could close you, by which you would be oblig'd to kill him, or render the Advantage doubtful by struggling.

CHAP. XIX.

_Of engaging in_ Quarte _in a midling Guard._

I Have hitherto treated of the Means whereby to make Thrusts, and in this and the following Chapters, I will shew on what Occasion they are to be made use of. Tho' there is an infinite Number of Figures or Postures, and that every Posture may be in Guard, whether within, or without, _Prime_, _Seconde_, _Tierce_, or _Quarte_, they proceed from the Midling Guard, the Strait, the High, or the Low Guard, each of which may be attacked and defended within or without.

Though there are many Means to disorder the Enemy by putting him out of Guard in order to hit him on that Occasion, they all depend either upon a Feint by the Side of his Sword to draw him on, or on a Motion of your Sword on his, to uncover him, taking his Sword from the Line of your Body, and placing yours on a Line with his, which is called engaging.

And there are several other Ways of coming to the Sword, which are the Beats, Crossings, Bindings, and Las.h.i.+ngs; the Occasions of which, and the Manners of using them, I shall shew in their proper Places. I begin with engaging in the midling Guard, as the neatest, the most used, and the best.

To engage this Guard within, it must be done with the Edge on the same Side, without going wide, in order to keep your Fort before you, and your Point before the Enemy, carrying both Parts alike; the Engagement must be made Feeble to Feeble, a little more to your Enemy's than your own, because if it were with the Feeble to the Fort, the Enemy's Sword would not be displaced, besides if he should push, you could not parry, being unable with your Feeble to resist his Fort; and if it were with the Fort to the Feeble, you wou'd be in Danger of being hit under, where there would be an Opening; besides you would be oblig'd to advance much, which would be dangerous.

On your Engagement, the Enemy may do Three things, either of which, produces several others. First, either he will let you engage, or secondly, he will disengage, or thirdly, he will come to your Blade.

If he lets you engage, you must push _Quarte_, or, by way of Precaution, make a Half-thrust, in order to see if he stirs, to retire, or to have recourse to his Parade, or to Time.

If he does not stir, you must, as I said, push _Quarte_; if he retires, redouble your Thrust; if he parrys with his Fort cut _Quarte_ under the Wrist; if with the Feeble, disengage, or cut over the Point in _Tierce_; and if upon the Half-thrust he takes the Time pus.h.i.+ng strait, you must parry and risposte, or take the Time in _Seconde_, with your Body low; if he takes the Time lowering his Body, you must parry and oppose with the Left-hand, risposting in _Quarte_; if he takes the Time cutting under the Wrist, you must parry crossing the Sword in _Quarte_, opposing with the Hand, in order to make your Rispost more safely; and if he volts upon the Half-thrust, you must parry and risposte in _Flanconnade_, or take the Time, with, your Body low.

If when you engage he disengages, it will be either, 1st, without Design, or 2dly, to disengage and push _Tierce_ over, or 3dly, disengage breaking Measure, or 4thly, disengage, and come to your Blade without, or 5thly disengage making a Feint, and pus.h.i.+ng _Quarte_ or 6thly, disengage to take a Counter to your Time.

1st. If he disengages with a Design only to disengage, you must on the Time push _Tierce_.

2dly. If he disengages breaking Measure, you must redouble in _Tierce_, advancing.

3dly. If he disengages and pushes without, you must parry and risposte quick where you have Light, or take Time against him, disengaging and volting, or lowering the Body.

4thly. If he disengages and comes to your Blade without; if 'tis with his Fort, you must cut under in _Seconde_; and if with the Feeble, you must Counter-disengage from without to within.

5thly. If on the Engagement, he feint _Tierce_ in order to push _Quarte_, you must push or take the Time strait upon the Feint, or by lowering the Body on the Thrust.

6thly. If he disengages giving Light, to take a Counter to your Thrust, whether by a Rispost or Time, you must make a False-time or Half-thrust, and if he parrys, or takes the Time, in Case of the first, you must baulk his Parade; and if he takes the Time, you must take another upon him.

If, upon the Engagement, he goes to your Blade with his Fort, you must cut under his Wrist, and if with his Feeble, disengage and push without in _Tierce_.

Though an Engagement may be made Blade to Blade, without Disengaging, that is Inside to Inside; better and more common to make it by disengaging from the Outside to the Inside.

CHAP. XX.

_Of engaging in_ Tierce _in the Midling Guard_.

The Engagement without shou'd be made from your being placed within, Feeble to Feeble, for the same Reason as in _Quarte_, the Wrist shou'd be turned in _Tierce_; in this Engagement as in _Quarte_, the Antagonist may do three things. 1st, let you engage him, 2d. or disengage, 3d. or come to your Blade.

If he lets you engage him, you must carry on your Thrust in _Tierce_, or make a Half-Thrust, to see if he does not stir, if he retires, if he parrys, or if he takes the Time.

If upon your Half-thrust he does not stir, you must thrust strait, if he retires, advance and redouble.

If he parrys with his Fort, cut _Seconde_ under, if with his Feeble, you must disengage or cut over the Point from _Tierce_ to _Quarte_, and if upon the Half-thrust he takes the Time pus.h.i.+ng strait, you must either parry and risposte, or make him Time, volting or lowering the Body.

If he takes the Time in _Seconde_, lowering his Body, you must either parry him and thrust _Quarte_, or pus.h.i.+ng _Quarte_, oppose with the Left hand, or volt.

If on your Engagement he disengages, 'tis as in _Quarte_, 1st either without Design, 2d. or to retire, 3d. or to take the Time pus.h.i.+ng _Quarte_ or volting, 4th. or to come to your Blade, 5th. or to make a Feint; 6th. or to take a Counter to your Thrust.

1st. If he disengage without Design, you must push strait in _Quarte_, or make a Half-thrust, and go on with the same.

2d. If he disengages breaking Measure, you must come forward redoubling in _Quarte_.

3d. If he disengages and pushes _Quarte_, which, on this Occasion, is called Counter-disengaging, you must either parry and risposte, or take the Time lowering the Body, or volting.

4th. If he disengages and comes to your Sword within, with his Fort, you must cut _Quarte_ under the Wrist, and if with his Feeble, you must Counter-disengage from the Inside to the Outside.

5th. If he makes a Feint in order to return in _Tierce_, you must either parry or take the Time as I have said.

6th. If he disengages giving Light, to take a Counter on your Thrust, whether by Rispost or Time, you must make a Feint, and if he parrys with his Fort you must cut under in _Seconde_, if with his Feeble, you must disengage and push _Quarte_, if he takes the Time strait, you must lower the body, if he takes Time lowering his body, you must parry and push strait in _Quarte_, if he cuts in _Flank_, you must parry crossing the Sword in _Quarte_, and if he volts, you must parry and risposte in _Flanconnade_.

If on the Engagement without, he comes to your Sword with his Fort, you must cut under in _Seconde_, if with his Feeble, disengage or cut over the Point in _Quarte_.

_When you are engaged within the_ Sword.

If the Enemy engage you within with his Fort, you must cut under the Wrist, and if with his Feeble, disengage from within to without, of if you don't care to do that, make a Feint without; if on this Feint he goes to the Parade with his Fort, you must push _Seconde_ under, and if with his Feeble, disengage in _Quarte_.

When the Enemy engages to make you push, in order to parry and rispost, you must, as I have said, make a Half-thrust and retire giving Light, in order to take him by a Counter to his thrust, by a Parade, or by Time.

You may on the same Engagement, remain engaged on purpose, in order to make the Adversary path strait; and in this Case, you must parry and risposte where he is uncovered, or take Time lowering the Body.

If after having engaged you he shou'd make a Feint, you must, by going to the Parade, give Light on purpose, and if he pushes, take him by a Contrary.

If he engages to make you disengage, in order to take the Time on your Disengagement, you must disengage and give him a little Light, and if he pushes at it, take him by a Rispost, or a Time opposite to his.

If you are engaged in _Tierce_ with the Fort, you must cut under the Wrist in _Seconde_, and if with the Feeble, and the Hand in _Quarte_, disengage to _Quarte_ within, or, by Way of Caution, make a Half-thrust; if the Adversary goes to the Parade, you must push where you have Light, and if he takes the Time, parry and risposte, or take a Time to his.

You may also upon an Engagement in _Tierce_, make a Feint below, and if he takes the Time, parry above and risposte below. This Thrust is very good against a Man that's disorder'd, who coming to the Parade above, gives room to hit him below.