4th. Plate.

4th. Plate.4th. Plate. A Lunge in Tierce.

Tierce Parryed.

In order to pushTiercewell, 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 inQuart; the Left Hand should extend itself inTierce, because it ought, in all Cases, to be conformable with the Right, except that it is lower. When you pushTierce, 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 inQuart, will serve also inTierce, but of the contrary Side.

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 4thPlate.

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 inQuart, which is very dangerous if the Enemy pushesQuartover the Arm in the Fort, orQuartwithin, 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 pushedTierce, 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 nearyour 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 5thPlate.

5th. Plate.5th Plate. Parade of Tierce yeilding the Feeble.

The same parade & opposition of the Hand.

When a Thrust is made inTierceupon 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 5thPlate.

You may also parry by disengaging, drawing the Body back. The Return is easy, by pushingQuart; and to avoid a second Thrust from the Enemy at the Time of your Return, you must oppose with the Left Hand.See the 5thPlate.

In pushing under, the Hand must be turned inSeconde, as high as inQuart, and more within than inTierce; the Body should be more bent, lower, and more forward than in thrustingTierce, and the Left Hand lower.See the 6thPlate.

Seconde ought not be pushed, but on the following Occasions: First, when an Engagement,FeintorHalf-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 Pass, within or without.

The Recovery in Guard, should be inQuartwithin the Arm, though most Masters teach to recover on the Outside, which takes much more Time, and though theSecondeis independent on the Side, it is nearer to the Inside than to the Outside; because the Adversary carries his Wrist tothe 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 theSecondeby beating on the Blade; inTierce, 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.

Secondemay 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 inTierce, the Point low, almost on a Line with the Wrist; but the Greatness of theMotion 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 theRispostis 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,Secondemay be parryed by making a Half-circle on the Outside, the Wrist inQuart, as high as the Shoulder, the Arm extended, and the Point very low.See the 7thPlate. It is less dangerous, and more easy for theRispostthan the former, which must be made as soon as you have parryed, by pushing strait inQuartwhich the Adversary having pushed under, can hardly avoid, but by yeilding, and battering the Sword.See the 7thPlate.

To this Manner of parryingSeconde, there is but one Opposite, which is done byfeintingbelow, and as the Adversary is going to cross your Sword, in order to parry, you must disengage by a little Circle, with the Hand inSeconde, which preventing the Enemy's Sword, gives an Opportunity of hitting him above, if the Wrist is lower than I have observed, or inFlanconnade, if theWrist is high. A Man that parrys below, in order to avoid thisFeint, must redouble his Circle to meet the Blade. This Parade is best in recovering, after having pushed, not only to avoid the strait or lowRispost, 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 inQuart, but a little lower: TheRispostof this Parade is very good, when you know how to bind the Sword upon theRispost; 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 theRispostis 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.

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

The Wrist must not be so much turned up, nor so high as inQuartwithin; the Body should be more inward, and bending more forward. (Refer to the 7th Plate.)

In case the Adversary pushesQuart, in order to take the Time, you must lunge the Foot strong inward, to throw the Body farther from the Line of the Adversary's Sword.

In recovering from this Thrust, the Wrist must be inTierce, and the Sword without the Enemy's whilst the other Parts take their Situation.

The Parade of this Thrust is made by a Half-circle of the Sword within, the Wrist raised inQuart, and the Point low.See the 7th Plate.

7th. Plate.7th Plate. Thrust under the Wrist.

It's Parade.

This Thrust is to be made only in engaging orrispostingwhen the Adversary carries his Wrist too far inward, or drops the Feeble of his Sword, then you must press a little within, and with your Feeble on his, in order to lower it, and by that means get an Opening in his Flank.

The Body, in this Thrust, is not so strait as inQuartwithin, tho' the Arms are.See the 8thPlate.

It is necessary to oppose with the Left Hand, in order to avoid a low Thrust on your engaging, pushing orrisposting. This is the last Thrust of the Five which are to be made in our Art. The first usQuartwithin the Sword, the secondTiercewithout the Sword, the thirdSecondeunder the Sword, the fourthQuartunder the Sword, and the fifth,Flanconnade; and there is not any Attack, Thrust, Feint, Time or Rispost in this extensive Art, but what depends on one of these.

The Recovery fromFlanconnade, should be the same as fromQuartwithin the Sword.

Flanconnade is generally avoided by taking the Time inSecondewith the Body low; the Hand must oppose to shun the Thrust, and hit the Adversary at the same time. Instead of pushing at the Flank, you should push within the Body.See the 8thPlate.

Besides the taking Time inSeconde, there is another very good Parade, very little practised in Schools; either because few Masters know it, or because it is more difficult to execute it justly. This Parade is made by lowering the Adversary's Sword, bringing it under your's to the Inside, and parrying a little lower on the Feeble of his Sword, you make yourRispostwhere he intended his Thrust, that is to say in the Flank.

8th. Plate.8th. Plate. Flannconade.

The Opposition of the Hand to the lowering the body.

There are two Sorts of Parades, the one by binding the Blade, the other by a dry beat. The binding Parade is to be used when you are torispostinQuartwithin, inTiercewithout, inSecondeunder, inFlanconnade, and in allFeints: And the Beat, giving a favourable Opportunity ofrisposting, is to be used when yourispostto a Thrust inSeconde; or when after having parryed a Thrust inQuartwithin, you see an Opening under the Wrist. To these two Thrusts, you mustrispostalmost as soon as the adversary pushes, quitting his Blade for that Purpose, which is to be done only by a smart Motion, joining again immediately, in order to be in Defence if the Adversary should thrust.

There are three Things more to be observed in parrying. First, that you are to parry all Thrusts with the inmost Edge, except in yeilding Parades, which are made with the Flat. Secondly, that your Fort be to the Middle, and yourMiddle to the Feeble of the Adversary's Sword.

And thirdly, that your situation be as rear to the guard as possible, as to favour your riposte.

In order to riposte well, you must observe the Adversary's Time and Recovery in Guard. The Time is to be taken in the Thrusts of opposition when he is recovering, and the other as soon as you have parryed. There are three ways of riposting on the Adversary's Recovery in Guard: when he does not come enough to the Sword, or not at all: the second, when he comes too much, and the third, when his Recovery and Parade are just. To the first, you must riposte strait; to the second by disengaging, or cutting over or under, according as you see light; and to the last, by making a strait Feint or Half-thrust, to oblige the Adversary to come to the Parade, and then pushing where there is an opening, which is called baulking the parade.

Most of the faults committed in making thrusts when the measure is to be closed, proceed from the disorder of the body, occasioned by that of the feet, so that for want of moving well, you are not only in danger of being taken on your time, but likewise you cannot execute your thrusts neatly, justly, nor swiftly; the body being disordered and weak. There are ten demarches in fencing; four in advancing, five in retiring, and one to turn your adversary, or hinder him from turning you. The first demarche in advancing, is made by lifting and carrying your Left-foot the length of your shoe before the right, keeping it turned as in guard, with the knee bent, lifting up the heel of the Right-foot, leaning the body forward, which, on this occasion, gives it more strength and a better air; then carrying the Right-foot about two foot before the left, in orderto be in Guard, which is done by a smart Beat of the Right-foot.

The sameDemarchein retiring, is made by lifting and carrying the Right foot the Length of the Shoe behind the Left, with the Knee a little bent, then carrying the Left-foot on the Line, and to the Distance of Guard.

The secondDemarcheis called closing the Measure; which is done by lifting and advancing the Right-foot a bout a Foot with a Beat, drawing the Left the same Length; because by drawing it more or less you would lose your Strength or your Measure, which few People have observed.

There is such aDemarchebackward, which is called breaking Measure; which is done by lifting and carrying the Left-foot a Foot back, drawing or bringing back the Right in Proportion according as the Ground will permit.

If the Ground be uneven, or that you have a mind to surprize an unskilful Man by gaining Measure unperceived, or to oblige one, a little expert, to push at the time you advance your Body; you must, I say, if your Adversary is unskilful, bring the Left-foot more or less near the Right, as youare more or less out of Measure, which gains more Ground, and less visibly than the foregoingDemarche, and is more favourable to your Thrust: If your Adversary is a little expert, and pushes on this your advancing you must bring back the Left-foot to it's Place, and he will be out of Measure, tho' by Means of his Lunge you will be well in Measure, which is a great Advantage.

The sameDemarchemay be made in retiring, where the Ground is uneven, lifting the Right-foot, bringing it near the Left, and putting back the Left in Guard.

To make a Thrust in three Motions, being out of Measure, you must make a double Beat, which is done by a small Beat of the Right-foot in the same Place, beginning immediately with the same Foot to close the Measure.

The three Ways of retiring which I have shewn, are done from the Situation in Guard. The two which are done after a Lunge are, first by lifting and bringing the Right-foot back from the Place of the Lunge behind the Left, and then carrying the Left behind the Right, in order to be in Guard.

The late Monsieur De Latouche, and Monsieur De Liancour, found this demarche better than the following one, tho' it is not so generally used.

The second Retreat after having pushed, is made by drawing back the Right-foot about the length of the Shoe, bending the Knees, in order to be in a condition to chace or drive back the Left-foot with the Right, keeping the Hams very supple, the Body free, and the Sword before you; not only that you may spring the farther, but also to be in a better Posture of defence. The Point of the Right-foot should come down first, leaning immediately after on the Heel; the Left-foot must fall on the Line at the distance, and in the Situation in Guard, as I before observed, in order to be ready to take the Time, or to make a Riposte.

The two Masters that I have quoted, condemned this Retreat very much, especially Monsieur De Latouche, who says in springing back, three motions are necessary; first to draw back the Right-foot in guard, secondly to bend the Knee, and thirdly to chace or fly back. Any Master, will find that there should be but two motions, it being easy to bend the Knees and draw back the Right-foot at the same Time.

Besides, his rule for springing back is false; for by drawing the Right-foot back so far as in guard; you lose Time,the first Motion being too long, and the Feet being so close together, the Body has not sufficient Strength, and consequently cannot go far. From this it is plain that three Motions are not necessary for springing back, there being but two in all. He likewise says that the leaping back, requires such an effort, that you have not Power to parry; but Experience sufficiently shows that you may easily parry and spring back. Indeed on a moving Sand, or slippery Ground, it is very difficult to leap back; and if we consider things rightly, we cannot find our purpose answered at all times and places; and tho' the first Retreat that I recommended, and which these Gentlemen esteemed, is very good, yet if you are followed closely in retreating thus, as the two Steps do not place you at so great a Distance, by much, as the springing back, you may be put to a Nonplus by a redouble.

When you know the just Length of your Adversary's Thrust, you may break or steal out of measure, by leaning back the Body, without stirring the Foot.

If in the Field, you have the Disadvantage of the Ground, the Wind, or the Sun, or that in a School, you are exposed to too much Light, or, pushing with an awkard Man; in order to obviate these Inconveniencies, you must go round him, which may be done within or without according as you have Room.

The Turning must be done out of Measure, and with great Caution: When 'tis within your Sword, you must begin with your Left-foot, carrying it to that Side, and then bring the Right-foot to it's proper Line and Distance; and if your Adversary turns on the Outside, you must carry the Right-foot to that Side, and the Left in Guard, as well to avoid his Thrusts, as to lay hold on every favourable Opportunity, in case he should persist in hisDemarche.

You should never give Measure but to your Inferior: Giving Measure, is when the Body and Feet advance too much, or in Disorder; or advancing before you are well situated, although corrected in theDemarche, or advancing when you are near enough, except you be much superior to the Enemy.

The Measure should be given to oblige the Adversary to push; in order to get an Opportunity of taking the Time, or ofrisposting.

There is nothing more nice, or more necessary in Fencing, than Disengagements; the nicest Motion, being the smoothest and finest, and the most necessary, there being but few Thrusts where you ought not to disengage, and to several more than once; and there is no better Means of avoiding the Advantage that a strong Man has when he presses on your Sword.

If we confine ourselves, strictly, to the Meaning of Disengagements, we shall find it to be of three Sorts; which are, upon the Blade, over the Point, and under the Wrist: But as this might be too intricate in Lessons, and a Learner mistake one for another; none should be called a Disengagement, but that which is made on the Blade; and though the others are, in effect, Disengagements, especially that over thePoint, which is done closer than those under the Wrist, yet they are distinguished from Disengagements, by calling them Cuts over the Point, and under the Wrist, according as they are used.

In order to disengage and push from the Outside to the Inside, being in Guard towards halfQuart; the Wrist must be raised a little at the Time that you lower the Point and raise it again, which should be done as close as possible, by a smooth and quick Motion, that you may be covered and lose no Time, and be able to push with your Fort to the Adversary's Feeble.

Some People, in pushingQuartandTierce, keep the Wrist inTierce, in order to pushQuartthe swifter, which is a Fault; because they accustom themselves to a Situation, which, when they come to assault, is unsafe and dangerous, for want of being in the Guard of Defence.

In disengaging from the Inside to the Outside, the Wrist should turn a little more towardsQuart, than in the Guard which I have recommended: The Point should fall and rise and the same Instant, and the Hand should turn insensibly inTierce, as the Thrust goes forward.

Some Masters teach to hold the Sword in Guard betweenQuartandTierce, and to disengage in that Situation; whereby the three Advantages which the Disengagement inHalf-Quartgives you, are lost; that is to say, first, a good Air, secondly, the being covered with the Fort of the Sword, and thirdly, the Swiftness of the Thrust; because the Hand has not a sufficient Freedom of Motion.

The knowing how to disengage barely is not sufficient; it is necessary that you be acquainted with the Time, and with your Adversary's Play, in order to disengage to Advantage. The Time is when the Adversary comes to your Sword; and when your Adversary, depending on his Strength, comes to your Blade, in order to guide his Thrust to your Body, is what is meant by his Play or Manner. You may indeed disengage without taking the Time, but with less Success.

When the Adversary engages swift, 'tis good to keep your Point a little low, or distant from his; by which Means he requires more Time to engage you, and gives you more to prevent him, unless you suffer him to touch your Sword; which would not only make you lose the Timeof hitting him, but would also expose you to receive a Thrust, it being certain that when you go to the Blade on one Side, you cannot defend the Other; for you cannot do two opposite Actions at one and the same Time; and by the same Rule, if you miss the Time of disengaging, and disengage too late, you expose yourself to his Thrust; for you cannot, at the same time, quit his Blade and parry.

Though it is necessary that every Fencer should understand the Disengagements, it is more especially so to tall and weak Men. To the first, that they may keep their Adversary at a Distance; which by Reason of their Height, is an Advantage to them; and to the others in order to prevent closing; in which Case, their Weakness would be a Disadvantage to them.

Feints are much used inFencing, whether it be by reason of their Number, their Ease, or the Success that attends them, gaining more Time and Light thanis to be got in plain Thrusts, there being no Thrust to be given so well as after a Feint.

The Number of Feints is so great, by reason of the many Guards and Parades, that I should find it as difficult to describe them, as the Reader would to comprehend them without Experience; so that I shall confine myself to those from which the rest derive, which are, strait Feint, Feint, and double Feint.

By strait feint, is meant a Motion or Feint to Thrust on the Side on which your Sword is, which is to be done on the Inside, the Wrist inQuart, a little higher than the Point which must be near the Adversary's Sword, that you may be covered, whilst you endeavour to get an Opening. This Motion should be attended with a little Beat of the Right-foot, keeping back the Body. If, at the Time you feint, your Adversary does not stir, you must pushQuart: if he parrys with his Feeble, you must immediately disengage toTierce; and if he parrys high you must cut inQuartunder the Wrist.

The Feint, to which I give no other Name, it being the most used, and to distinguish it from the others, is done by feinting fromQuarttoTierce, with a little Beat of the Foot, keeping the Body back: the Wrist must be raised inQuart, and the Button a little lower than the Pommel, near the adversary's blade; by which means you are covered, and can make your thrust swifter. If the Adversary does not stir at the feint, you must go on strait with theTierce: if he parrys with his Feeble, you must Disengage and thrustQuart, and if he parrys with his Fort, you must pushSeconde.

Several masters teach to make this feint from the inside to the outside, with the Wrist turned inTierce; and indeed they are seemingly in the right; a feint being a likeness of the beginning of a Thrust; and that likeness cannot be better shown than in the Figure of the Thrust: but the smart motion of the Point, causes the Adversary to stir, the Figure of the Hand no way contributing thereto. You are to consider which is the most proper, not only to make the Adversary answer you, butalso to make the Motion quicker. Monsieur De Latouche says, that fromQuarttoQuartthere is no Motion; but we have two instances to the contrary. First, that a Man of experience has his Wrist and the bend of his Arm free, so as to thrust strait inQuart, tho' in the same Figure; and secondly, if there be a Motion preceding the Thrust, as in a Disengagement, or a Cut under; this Motion is sufficient to help the swiftness of the Feint, and of the Thrust: in short, the Motion fromQuarttoQuart, being quicker than feinting fromQuarttoTierce, and returning inQuart; it ought to have the preference, swiftness being the Line of Fencing. The only Feints that should be made inTierce, are those that are marked from below above to return below, and from above below to return above.

The double feint is in two Motions, so that in order to push within the Sword, you must be without; and making a little Motion inQuartwithin, with a little Beat of the Foot, you feint again without closing the Measure, keeping back the Body in order to be out of the Adversary's Reach: if he parrys with his Fort, you must cut under inSeconde, and if he parrys with his Feeble, disengage toQuartwithin.

As there are in this Thrust three motions of the Sword,viz.the two Feints and the Thrust; the Foot must make as many, in order to answer the Motions of the Hand.

Some Masters teach to make the double Feint without stirring the Foot; and others teach to advance on the first Motion. In the first Case, being in the Adversary's Measure, you lose too much Time, which is very dangerous: And advancing on the first motion, is almost as dangerous as keeping the Foot firm, by putting yourself within the Adversary's Reach; besides the Manner is not so graceful as that which I recommend, in which you are not within his Reach 'till the second Motion; and this is attended with another Advantage; for by bearing with the Right-foot, the Body must of necessity be kept back, and consequently, farther from the Sword of the Adversary, and in a better Condition to act.

There are two other Ways of making these Thrusts: The one by an Interval between the first and second Motions, joining or uniting the other two; and the latter between the second and third Motions, joining the two first. Though both these Methods are good, I prefer the latter, which puts you in a better Condition, not only to avoid your Adversary's Thrust, but also to chuse your own; the Interval giving you a favourable Opportunity of doing both.

There has been so much said of the Feints which I have described, with their Opposites, that I shall say no more of them, nor will I speak of an infinite Number of other Feints, strait, single, and double, within, without, and under, in disengaging, or cutting over the Point, or under the Wrist, in risposting, or redoubling Thrusts; all which, depend on the three which I have described; in which, as in all Thrusts, the Body must be kept back, and the Fort of the Sword before you; by which Means, you are more out of Danger, and the Wrist is better prepared. Some Men mark Feints with the Head and Body, which is a very disagreeable Sight, and dangerous with Regard to Time.

A Feint is the Likeness of the Beginning of a Thrust: It is made to put the Adversary off his Guard, and to gain an Opening. In order to take Advantage of the Time and Light which you get by your Feint, you must take care to avoid an Inconveniency into which many People fall, by uncovering themselves in endeavouring to uncover the Adversary.

In order to cut over the Point, within from without, the Wrist must be turned towardsTierce, which gives it a swifter Motion. When your Point is over your Adversary's, you must turn the Wrist inQuart, pushing with your Fort to his Feeble: Though this is a regular Way of cutting, what is most essential to perfect the Thrust is wanting, that is to say, the Motion that should precede it, which is commonly a Half-thrust or Feint, by which, two Advantages are gained: First you discompose your Adversary, and secondly, your Thrust is swifter, being by so much the more vigorous, as the Motion previous thereto is so. At the Time you make a Half-thrust or Feint, you must make a little Beat with the Foot, bearing back the Body to break your Adversary's Measure.

The Cut from the Inside to the Outside, has commonly more Success than that from the Outside to the Inside, the Adversary going more readily to his Parade on this Sidethan on the other. The Manner of cutting on the Outside, is by placing your Sword within, making a little Motion or strait Feint, the Wrist inQuart, the Fort of the Sword before you, in order to be covered, and your Point very near the Adversary's Sword; you must beat a little with the Foot, bending the Body back a little, and as the Adversary is going to parry with the Feeble, you must pass your Point quickly over his, pushing inTierce, with your Fort to his Feeble.

Though all Thrusts have the same following Ones; the Cut has them more easy; it's Motion from above to below, disposing it better than the Disengagements, if the Thrust be from the Outside to the Inside, and that the Adversary parrys with his Fort to your Feeble: Besides the Recovery in Guard, which is common after all Thrusts, you must, upon a Parade with the Fort, if it be without stirring the Foot, or in advancing, join: And if the Adversary makes this Parade in retiring, he gives you an Opportunity of cutting inQuartunder the Wrist, and on his parrying with the Feeble, you must return inSeconde, bringing forward the Left-foot a little, in order to procure a Reprise or second Lunge.

These two Reprises are to be made before you are acquainted with your Adversary's Manner of parrying; but when you have discovered it, if it be with his Fort, you must cut over and under the Wrist inQuart, and if with his Feeble, return inTierce, that is to say, make an entire Circle. These Cuts are to be made in one or two Motions; in the first you are not to stop, but in the other, you make a short Interval by a little Beat with the Foot.

The Thrusts following the Cut from the Inside to the Outside, before you know your Adversary's Parade, are made thus: If 'tis with the Fort, you must return with a Cut inSeconde, under the Sword, advancing the Left-foot a little; If he parrys with the Feeble, you must return by disengaging toQuartwithin, advancing the Left-foot, as before: Some People return a Cut inTierce, inQuart, by another Cut over the Point, ofQuartinTierce, and so on the contrary Side.

When you foresee the Parade, you may at once cut from the Inside to the Outside, and under inSeconde; or return within, according as the Parade is made with the Fort or Feeble. You may also make these Redoubles by a little Interval over the Sword, beating with the Foot.

There are other Redoubles which are made by drawing back the Body without stirring the Feet.

See the Chapter of Reprises.

The Cut may be made not only after a Half-thrust, or strait Feint, as I have said, but also after an Engagement, Lunge, or Pass, and in Risposting, which is the best and most used; because that is to be done only in recovering to Guard, or by bringing one Foot behind the other, or springing back; To the first you must Rispost with the Foot firm, and to the other by closing the Measure.

The TermReprisesignifies a succession of Thrusts without Interval, or with very little. It may be done in three Manners; First after having pushed without recovering, Secondly, in recovering or being recovered; and Thirdly, when the Enemy steals Measure.

The first and last of these three Reprises may be called Redoubles.

The first Reprise is made after having pushedQuart, the Enemy having parryed with his Feeble, you must return inSeconde, advancing the left Foot a little to make the Action easier to the right Foot, and tho' it be not necessary to advance it unless the Enemy retires, it serves for an Ornament, and to give more Vigour to the Thrust: But if as soon as the Enemy has parryed he Risposts, you must only redouble with the Hand, the Body low without stirring the Feet, and join. If he Risposts under the Wrist in the Flank, you must either parry crossing his Sword as you recover, opposingwith the left Hand, or return, as I said, with the Hand inSeconde.

Upon the Rispost of the Enemy, you may also redouble, volting strait, or cutting in the Flank according as he raises his Hand more or less in his Rispost, in order to facilitate your Volt; you must immediately after your Lunge follow a little with the left Foot.

The second Reprise is made, after having pushedQuarte, when in recovering to Guard the Enemy advances, without being covered, or that suffering the Superiority of your Sword, he gives you room to thrust inQuarte, if he disengages, you must go off inTierce, if he forces your Sword with his Feeble, you must disengage toTierce, and if with his Fort cutQuarteunder the Wrist.

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 straitQuarte, orSeconde, lowering the Body or volting, andif he comes on your Sword you must disengage and push over inTierce.

The third Reprise is made when the Enemy upon your pushingQuartebreaks Measure without or with parrying; to the one you must redouble inQuarte, 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.

If you push inTierceand your Adversary parrys with the Fort, you must redouble inSeconde, and if he parrys with the Feeble disengage toQuarte, advancing a little the left Foot that the Right may have the Liberty of a second Motion.

If the Enemy after parryingTierceshou'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 ofVolting, 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 inQuarte; if after having pushedTierce, 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 inTierceif he disengage you must take the time and pushQuarte, if he comes to your Sword with his Fort, you must cut under inSeconde, if with his Feeble, disengage inQuarte, it is also good after having pushedTierceto 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 inTierceby 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.

A Pass is contrary to a Volt as well in Figure as in it's Occasion, the left Leg in the Figure passing foremost, and in a Volt behind, to help the Body to turn, and in it's occasion, the Pass 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 Pass is different from a Lunge, the one being made with the foremost Foot, and the Pass 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 Pass in the right Foot which is more advanced, and also because in passing you advance the Left Foot more than you do the Right in Lunging,and the Parts being higher on a Pass than in a Lunge there is a greater Facility of taking the Feeble with your Fort.

9th. Plate.9th Plate. A Pass in Quart.

The Lowering the Body on the Pass.

In a Pass inQuarte, 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 Pass 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 Pass 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 inSeconde, 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 passes inQuartwithin are to parry dry and Rispost swiftly in the Flank, and if the Pass is made straight along the Blade with the Fort to your Feeble, you must by lowering your Feeble, turn your Wrist inQuartecarrying 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 Pass lower the Body and pushSeconde.

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