The Defence of the Lowe warde at Single Rapier.

B

Ecauſe both the down-right blowe, and the reverſe are verie eaſily defended in this warde, I will not ſtand to ſpeake of any other then of the thruſt, reſtraining my ſelfe thereunto. The which thruſt, if at the firſt it be not withſtoode, may prove verie mortall & deadly. Therefore, when this thruſt is given within, it muſt be beaten inwardes with the edge of the Rapier, requiring the turne of the hand alſo inwards, and the compaſse of the hinder foote, ſo farre towards the right ſide, as the hande goeth towardes the right ſide. And the enimie ſhall no ſooner have delivered the thruſt, and he found the ſword, but he ought to turne his hand, and with a reverſe to cut the enimies face, carying alwaies his forefoote on that ſide where his hand goeth. If the enimies thruſt come outwardes, then it is neceſsarie, that with the turne of his hand he beat it outwards with the edge of his ſword encreaſing in the ſame inſtant one ſlope pace, by meanes whereof he delivereth his bodie from hurt. And therewithall (encreaſing another ſtraight pace, and delivering his thruſt alreadie prepared) he doth moſt ſafely hurt the enimie.

The Rapier and Dagger.

Aving as briefely as I might poſsibly finiſhed all that which might be ſaide, of true knowledge of Single Rapier: it ſeemeth convenient, that comming from the ſimple to the compound, I handle thoſe weapons firſt, which from the Rapier forwards are either moſt ſimple or leaſt compound: And eſpecially thoſe which noweadayes are moſt uſed, and in the which men are moſt exerciſed, the which weapons are the Rapier & Dagger accompanied togither, and are a great encreaſe and furtherance both in ſtriking and defending.

Wherefore, it is firſt to be conſidered, that with theſe and the like weapons, a man may practiſe that moſt deſired and renowmed manner of ſkirmiſhing, which is ſaide to ſtrike and defend both in one time, which is thought to be impoſsible to be done with the ſingle Rapier, and yet in truth it is not ſo: For there are ſome kinde of blow in the defence of which one may alſo ſtrike (as in the blowes of the edge, downe right and reverſed) both high and lowe, and other high blowes which here are not ſpoken of.

Wherefore ſeing with theſe weapons a man may verie commodiouſly, both ſtrike and defend, for that the one is a great helpe to the other, it is to bee remembred, that becauſe theſe weapons are two, and the one of leſser quantitie then the other, to each one bee allotted that part both of defendinge and ſtrikinge, which it is beſt hable to ſupport. So that to the Dagger, by reaſon of his ſhortnes, is aſsigned the left ſide to defend downe to the knee: and to the ſword all the right ſide, & and the right and left ſide ioyntly downwardes from the knee. Neither may it ſeeme ſtrange that the onely Dagger ought to defend all the blowes of the left ſide: for it doth moſt eaſily ſuſtaine everie edgeblowe, when it encountreth the ſworde in the firſt and ſecond parte thereof.

But yet let no man aſsure himſelfe, to beare any blowe, with his only Dagger when he meeteth with the ſword of the thirde and fourth parte thereof, becauſe that parte carrieth more force with it then may be ſuſtained with the onely Dagger. And yet for all that, no man ought to accuſtome himſelfe to defende blowes with the Rapier and Dagger both together, which manner of defending is now commonly uſed becauſe men beleeve, that they ſtand more aſsuredly by that meanes, although in trueth it is not ſo. For the Rapier and Dagger are ſo bound thereby, that they may not ſtrike before they be recovered, and therein are ſpent two tymes, under the which a man may be ſtrooken when he that ſtriketh continuing by the ſtraight lyne, encreaſeth forwards, perceiving his enimie to be occupied and troubled in defending of himſelfe. And albeit this is not ſeene to come to paſs many times, yet that is becauſe the advantage is not knowen, or being known, men either are not readie to execute it, either ſtand greatly in feare to do it.

Therefore leaving aſide this maner of defence, let each man uſe to oppoſe, one only weapon againſt the enimies ſworde, keeping the other free, that he may be able to ſtrike at his pleaſure.

And it is diligently to be noted, that not onely the blowes of the ſworde, but alſo of any other weapon be itnever ſo great, may with the onely Dagger be ſuſtained and defended, when a man doth boldly encounter it towards the hand.

It is therefore to be knowen, that in the handling of theſe two weapons one may with leſse danger give a blowe with the edge then at the ſingle Rapier: For albeit the poynt of the Rapier be moved out of the ſtraight lyne: yet for all that there is not free power given to the enimie to ſtrike, conſidering there is an other weapon contrariwiſe prepared to defend: but this doth not ſo fall out at the ſingle Rapier, which bearing it ſelfe farre off when it ſtriketh with the edge, doth preſent & give the meanes to the enimie to hit home firſt. And yet for all that, I would counſell no man, either in this or in any other ſort of weapon to accuſtome himſelfe to give blowes with the edge: for that he may under them be moſt eaſily ſtrooken by a thruſt.

Of the Wardes.

N the handling of theſe weapons, men uſe to frame manie wardes, all which, becauſe many of them carrie no reaſon, for that they are ether out of the ſtreight line, either under them a man maie eaſelie bee ſtroken, I wil caſt aſide as impertinent to my purpoſe, & regrain my ſelf unto thoſe three with the which a man may ſafele ſtrike & defend, wherunto all the reſt maie be reduced.

How to defend with the Dagger.

I

have ſaid elſwhere that the left ſide of the perſon is that part which the dagger ought to defend, that is to ſaie, from the knee upwards: the lower parts together with the right ſide ought wholy to bee warded with the ſword.

Concerning the dagger, that which is to bee done therewith, it is to be noted, that for great advantage, it would be holden before with the arme ſtreched forth & the point reſpecting the enemie, which although it be far from him, yet in that it hath a point, it giveth him occaſion to bethink himſelf.

Now whether a man ought to holde his Dagger with the edge or flatt towardes the enimie, it may be left to the iudgement of him that handleth it, ſo to uſe it, as ſhalbe moſt for his advantage. I have ſeene ſome, who beare it with the edge towards the edimie, alledging this to be their advantage, that as the encounter the enimies ſworde (which commeth with the edge or poynt) in the firſt and ſecond parte therof, & therewithall do increaſe a pace forwards, of force the hand turneth and placeth the edge of the Dagger there where the flatt was firſt: So that they are to drive the enimies ſword farre from them without any great trouble, becauſe each little motion in the firſt parte of the ſworde cauſeth verie great varietie in the poynt, from whence principally proceedeth the hurt. In which caſe, it ſhalbe very profitable to have a good large Dagger.

There be other ſome, whome it pleaſeth to carrie their Dagger with the flatt towardes the enimie, uſing for their defence, not onely the Dagger, but alſo the guardes thereof with the which (they ſaye) they take holdfaſt of the enimies ſword: and to the ende they may do it the more eaſily, they have daggers of purpoſe, which beſide their ordinarie hilts, have alſo two long ſterts of Iron, foure fingers length, and are diſtant from the dagger the thicknes of a bow-ſtring, into which diſtance, when it chaunceth the enimies ſworde to be driven, they ſuddenly ſtraine and holde faſt the ſworde, the which may come to paſse, but I holde it for a thing rather to be immagined then practiſed, the caſe to ſtanding, that in the heate of fight, where diſdaine bickereth with feare, little doth a man diſcerne whether the ſworde be in that ſtraight or no. And when he is to premeditate and marke, endevouring and ſtriving in his lively iudgement, he muſt adviſe himſelfe to perfourme it with the exquiſite knowledge and perfect diſcerning of the enimies motions, his neereneſse and farenſse, and to reſolve himſelfe to ſtrike by the ſhorteſt way that may be: for therchaence ſpringeth the victorie.

Let every man therefore holde his dagger with the edge or flatte towardes the enimie, as it ſhall moſt advantage him, or as he hath beene moſt accuſtomed. True it is, that by holding the edge towards the enimie there is this advantage gotten, that with the dagger he may ſtrike with the edge, which he may not do the other waie. But let every man hold it as he wil, yet he ought to carrie his arme ſtretched out before him, with the poynt in manner aforeſaide, to the end he may be able to finde the enimies ſworde a great deale before it hitteth his perſon.

Beſides this, he ought to obſerve for an infallible rule, that when the poynt or edge commeth on the left ſide, he muſt beat it from that ſide with the dagger. And in like ſort defending himſelfe with the ſword, to drive it from the right ſide, for doint otherwiſe: that is, if he force the blowes given on the left ſide outwardes: on the right ſide (foraſmuch as the enimies ſworde hath by that meanes two motions, the one croſsing, which is alreadie given, the other ſtraight which the enimie giveth it, continuing the one with the other) it may be, that in the ſtraight motion, it may hit the perſon, before that (by the thwart or croſsing motion) it be driven quite outwardes. Therefore all blowes ſhalbe beaten outwards toward that ſide or parte of the bodie which is leaft to the end it may the ſooner avoide daunger. And thoſe blowes that come on the right ſide muſt be beaten towards the right ſide: and thoſe on the left ſide muſt in like manner be voided from the ſame ſide.

Now, as concerning the faſhion of the Dagger, thus much is to be ſaide: that it would be ſtrong, able to beare and incounter the blowes of the ſword: indifferently long) that it may be quickly drawen out of the ſheath ſome what ſhort: and thoſe that are of the middle ſize would be choſen.