Chapter 6

In Fencing, as well as in other Exercises, there should be Judgment and Knowledge how to act and how to Teach: The first is the Effect of a long and good Theory; the second, of a good Theory, long Practice, and a good Disposition; and the third, besides the Theory and Practice, is the Effect of a good Genius, or of a particular Talent.

Qualities which shou'd be always united; so that the Genius may be capable of teaching properly to different Persons, the Application of the Rules which are acquired by Experience.

It is as necessary in this Art that a Master's Motions shou'd be regular, and that he shou'd hold the Foil properly in his Hand, as it is for a Writing Master to draw the Example well that he would have copied; so that the Scholar of the one, or of the other, may learn a better Motion, or a finer Character. It is also proper that when a Scholar commits a Fault, the Master shou'd shame him by imitating it, the seeing the Fault making a greater Impression than the hearing of it.

A Master in his Lesson shou'd give a Time to the Scholar to make him push, in order to teach him to take the Enemy's Time. He shou'd likewise sometimes beat back his Body, and parry him from time to time, that he may accustom him to be firm on his Legs, to oppose his Sword well, and to recover well: It is good sometimes to let him make several Thrusts following, and then remaining firm all of a sudden, to shew him, that he shou'd always be ready to thrust when an Opportunity offers, and to retain himself when it does not offer.

In order to make him take the Time well, and to form his Parade and Rispost properly, the Time that the Master gives must have a Regard to Rule, and sometimes to the Disorder of an unskilful Enemy, that he may be equally fortifyed for both; and to form his Parade and Rispost the Master must push in the Manner the most like to an Assault.

Though most Masters give Lessons with shorter and stiffer Foils than are used in assaulting or playing loose, I esteem it better always to use the same Foils that they may not be deceived in an Assault.

A Master's Play shou'd be neat, subtle agreeable, and useful, as fit for Combat as for the School.

The Art of Fencing being to make the most of a good or bad Disposition, when 'tis good 'tis capable of being made perfectly dexterous, and when bad, the Defect of Nature is to be repaired by Art.

By saying that 'tis no hard Matter to perfect such Men as are naturally of a very good Disposition, is meant the bringing them to a certain Point which they could almost arrive to of themselves, by Practice and Speculation; but it is well known that it is the Business of a good Master to make his Scholar perfectly dexterous, and tho' he may have a good Disposition and long Exercise, if he is not well instructed, he cannot become dexterous, even tho' he shou'd execute with Agility, being incapable of acquiring a Good without knowing and practising it.

A good Disposition is seldom to be met with, for there is generally a Mixture of bad Parts with the good. Some have a supple, light and vigorous Body, and with these Qualities a heavy or ill adjusted Hand; and others that have as good a Disposition as is desirable, have a narrow Genius, fearing to undertake any thing, or are hot and inconsiderate, which shews that it is only be a perfect Accord of the Parts and Understanding that a Man can be perfectly dexterous.

In short an able Master does not only shew the Fault, and whence it proceeds, but also the Danger to which it exposes, and the Means to leave it. A Master whose Play is regular, or who has the best Foundation, may properly be said to be a good Master.

CHAP. XXX.

_Rules for pushing and parrying at the Wall, and for making an Assault._

Though 'tis absolutely necessary to begin by way of Lesson, and to continue in it a long Time, in order that Practice growing to a Habit, may give Liberty to the Parts to form themselves: nevertheless however well you may take your Lessons, some other Means are necessary to make an Assault well, than those which the Master gives at his _Plastron_: This Rule must be supported by pushing and parrying at the Wall, and in the Manner I am going to lay down.

When you have laboured a certain Time at Lessons, you must push at a Cushion which is fixed against the Wall for that Purpose, observing the Guard, and the Measure or Extention of the Thrust; and that the Hand display itself in _Quart_, not only according to the Rule, but first, adjusting and supporting the Thrust, and that all the Parts be placed in the most advantageous Situation for the Thrust and Recovery, which shou'd be very regularly observed.

After having lunged for some Days on the Cushion, to fix the Wrist and Body a little, you must push at a Scholar, who Being placed at the Wall will parry your Thrusts; you shou'd be in Measure, and to see if it be just, you must lunge in _Quart_, placing the Button softly on the Body, at the same time taking off your Hat, having taken the Measure you must recover in Guard, and place yourself on the Outside of his Sword in order to disengage and push _Quart_, being more careful of pushing justly than hitting; he that parrys shou'd from time to time drop his Foil, which will shew whether he that pushes follows the Blade or the Line of the Body; having remain'd some Time upon the Lunge to form the Support of the Wrist and the Posture of the Body you recover to Guard. When you lunge pretty well in _Quart_, you may disengage and push _Tierce_, and when the Thrust is pushed and parryed, you may recover and push _Seconde_ under.

When you have pushed for some Time in this Manner, you may practise to parry, putting yourself for that Purpose to the Wall, which furnishes a better Parade than at large, where you are used to draw back the Body which weakens it, whereas here you cannot, which makes the Parade stronger, having no Dependence but on the Foil; you shou'd chuse a Scholar that pushes the most regularly, it being difficult without that, that a Beginner shou'd learn to parry justly.

Most young Beginners endeavour to hit at any Rate, instead of practising what would be beneficial to them, but instead of deceiving others they deceive themselves, by practising less how to form themselves and push according to Rule, than how to spoil their Bodies, and destroy the Solidity of the Principles: Some use themselves to push with the Wrist only, without the Foot, which is dangerous, by reason of the too great Measure; others with as little Reason, and as much Danger, place themselves without binding the Blade, and thrust under the Wrist; in the one the Situation of the Guard is good for nothing, and in the other there is no Defence if the Adversary thrusts at that time: Others deceive by making a Time or Motion when they are placed, but the pushing at the Wall requires only the Justness and Swiftness of the Thrust; others put themselves very near baulking the Measure, which may be done four Ways, tho' the Left-foot may be in it's proper Place, and kept firm in the Thrust; the first is done by marking or bringing forward the Point of the Left-foot, keeping it a little in, then advancing the Heel, which gives more Measure; secondly, by keeping back the Body on a Lunge, you deceive the Measure and hit by abandoning it forward, which gives it a greater Extention, thirdly, by raising or carrying the Wrist too high, or too much to one Side, which shortning the Thrust, makes it believed that you are out of Reach, but according to the Rule and Line you are too much in Reach; fourthly, some take Measure by holding the Thumb on the Body of the Guard, and when they have a mind to hit they hold it on the Middle of the Handle, with the Pommel in the Hand, which also gives a greater Length.

When you have for some time used yourself to push and parry at the Wall, according to the Rules that I have laid down, you must, (tho' 'tis not the Rule of Schools, especially when you push with Strangers,) you must I say, when you push with a Scholar of your own Master, push and parry a Thrust alternately, disengaging, and then do the same Feinting, and sometime after you shou'd make the other Thrusts, telling one another your design, which makes you execute and parry them by Rule, especially if you reflect on the Motions and Postures of the Lunges and Parades. Being a little formed to this method, you may, being warned of the Thrust, parry it, telling the Adversary where you intend your Riposte, which puts him in a condition to avoid it, and gives him room to redouble after his Parade, either strait or by a Feint, at which you are not surprised, expecting by being forewarned the Thrust he is to make, which puts you easily on your Defence and Offence: by this manner of Exercise, you may not only improve faster, but with more art, the Eye and Parts being insensibly disposed to follow the Rule, whereas without this Method, the difference that there is between a lesson of assaulting a Man who forewarns you, helps you, and lets you hit him, and another who endeavours to defend himself and hit you, is, that except the Practice of Lessons be very well taught by long exercise, you fall into a Disorder which is often owing to the want of Art more than to any Defect in Nature. The taking a Lesson well, and the Manner of Pushing and Parrying which I have just described, may be attained to by Practice only, but some other things are necessary to make an Assault well; for besides the Turn of the Body, the Lightness, Suppleness and Vigour which compose the exteriour Part, you must be stout and prudent, qualities so essential, that without them you cannot act with a good Grace, nor to the purpose. If you are apprehensive, besides, that you don't push home, or justly, fear making you keep back your Thrust, or follow the Blade, the least Motion of the Enemy disorders you, and puts you out of a Condition to hit him, and to avoid his Thrusts. Without Prudence, you cannot take the advantage of the situation, motions designs of the enemy, which changing very often, according to his Capacity and to the Measure, demonstrates that an ill concerted Enterprise exposes more to Danger than it procures Advantage: in order to turn this Quality to an advantage, you are to observe the Enemy's _fort_ and _feeble_, whether he attack or defend; if he attack it will be either by plain Thrusts strait, or disengaged, or by Feints or Engagements, which may be opposed by Time, or Ripostes: if he keeps on his Defence, it is either to take the Time or to Riposte. In case of the first; you shou'd, by half Thrusts, oblige him to push in order to take a Counter to his Time, and if he sticks to his Parade you must serve in what Manner, in order to disorder him by Feints, and push where he gives Light.

It would fill a whole Volume to describe the Thrusts that may be made, according to the Difference of Persons, as well to surprise as to avoid being surprised; besides the many Repetitions wou'd be extremely puzzling, for which Reason, I have, instead of them, laid down the following Advices, which contain chiefly, what I cou'd not otherwise have communicated without a long Treatise.

Don't put yourself in Guard within the Reach of the Enemy.

Make no wry Faces, or Motions that are disagreeable to the Sight.

Be not affected, negligent, nor stiff.

Don't flatter yourself in your Lessons, and still less in Assaults.

Be not angry at receiving a Thrust, but take care to avoid it.

Be not vain at the Thrusts you give, nor shew Contempt when you receive them.

Do not endeavour to give many Thrusts, running the Risque of receiving one.

Don't think yourself expert, but that you may become so.

When you present the Foils, give the Choice without pressing.

If you are much inferiour, make no long Assaults.

Do nothing that's useless, every Action shou'd tend to your Advantage.

Lessons and Assaults are only valuable when the Application and Genius make them so.

Too good an Opinion spoils many People, and too bad a one still more.

A natural Disposition and Practice are necessary in Lessons, but in Assaults there must be a Genius besides.

The Goodness of Lessons and of Assaults does not consist so much in the Length as in the Manner of them.

When you have to do with one that's bold and forward, it is necessary to seem apprehensive in order to get a favourable Opportunity.

If you act against one that's fearful, attack him briskly to put him in Disorder.

Before you applaud a Thrust given, examine if Chance had no Hand in it.

Thrusts of Experience, and those of Chance are different, the first come often, the others seldom or never happen, you may depend on one, but not on the other.

In Battle let Valour and Prudence go together, the Lyon's Courage with the Fox's Craft.

To be in Possession of what you know, you must be in Possession of yourself.

Undertake nothing but what your Strength and the Capacity of the Enemy will admit of in the Execution.

The Beauty of an Assault appears in the Execution of the Design.

Make no Thrust without considering the Advantage and the Danger of it.

If the Eye and Wrist precede the Body, the Execution will be good.

Be always cautious, Time lost cannot be regained.

If you can hit without a Feint, make none, two Motions are more dangerous than one.

To know what you risque, you must know what you are worth.

If you would do well, acquire the agreeable and useful.

Twenty good Qualities will not make you perfect, and one bad one will hinder your being so.

Judge of a Thrust, rather by Reason than by it's Success; the one may fail, but the other cannot.

To parry well is much, but it is nothing when you can do more.

Let your Guard, and your Play be always directly opposite to the Enemy.

Practice is either a Good or an Evil; all consists in the Choice of it.

When you think yourself skilful and dexterous, 'tis then you are not so.

'Tis not enough that your Parts agree, they must also answer the Enemy's Motions.

The knowing a Good without practising it, turns to an Evil.

Two skilful Men acting together, fight more with their Heads than with their Hands.

If you are superiour to your Enemy, press him close, and if you are inferiour, break Measure to keep him moving.

Endeavour both to discover the Enemy's Design, and to conceal your own.

When the Eye and the Hand agree in the same instant, you are perfectly right.

Draw not your Sword, but to serve the King, preserve your Honour, or defend your Life.

CHAP. XXXI.

_Against several erroneous Opinions._

Though there are People of a bad Taste in every Art or Science, there are more in that of Fencing than in others, as well by Reason of the little Understanding of some Teachers, as of the little Practice of some Learners, who are not acting upon a good Foundation, or long enough, to have a good idea of it, argue so weakly on this Exercise, that I thought it as much my Business to observe their Errors, as it is my Duty to instruct those that I have the Honour to teach in the Theory of it: By this Means, I may furnish the One with juster Sentiments, and the Others with the Means of preserving their Honour and Lives.

I begin with those, who defer letting their Children learn 'till they have attained a certain Age, Growth and Strength. If these three Qualities would enable them to put this Art in Execution immediately, I acknowledge that they ought not to begin 'till they possessed them; but it is by long Experience and Practice only, that they can become perfect; so that except they begin young, the Employments for which they are designed, may not give them Time to arrive to it; besides, by beginning in a tender Age, the Body is more easily brought to a good Air, and an easy Disengagement; being more at Liberty, and less used to Faults, which it would naturally fall into for want of being cultivated.

Others say that it is needless to learn when the Disposition is wanting, which is an Error; for a Body that is well disposed by Nature, can better dispense with the Want of Improvement, than those that she has taken less care of; these requiring a constant Labour, to acquire what the others have almost of themselves; and tho' they cannot arrive to a perfect Agility, yet their Bodies will be better disposed to act, and their Lives not so much in Danger.

Some assure you that the knowing how to Fence, makes a Man quarrelsome, and thereby exposes him to dangerous Consequences, without considering it is a natural Brutality, Honour, or Danger, which obliges him to attack another, or defend himself, which he would do without having learned, with this Difference; that though he have the same Brutality or Courage, the Issue of the Battle is not the same; and if he have Occasion to defend himself, would it not be better for him to be able to do it, than to leave his Life to an uncertain and dangerous Hazard.

Others say that it is enough to learn one Exercise at a time; that a Plurality of different Lessons fatigues the Mind and the Body: But as one Science disposes the Mind for the others, they having a Sort of a Correspondence one with another, so Exercises favour one another as well in regard to the Posture of the Body, as to the Freedom of Motion; besides, that learning them one after another, as each Particular would take up as much Time as all in general, this Length of Time would be too great for any one almost to succed in them.

Many People say that with Sword in Hand the Rules of the School are not observed, and that 'tis sufficient to have a good Heart: It is certain that People who are subject to this Error, are not capable of following the Rules which are to be acquired only by putting a good Theory in Practice; which by frequent Use, disposes the Eye and the Part of Executing so well, that it is almost impossible to act otherwise: And as to the Practice of Schools and of the Sword, 'tis the same; for no one ought to do any thing with the Foil, but what he knows by Experience to be without Risque, according to his Rules. In some Cases, it is true, what is esteemed good in one, is not in the other. For Example: Thrusts with the Foil are good only on the Body, and with the Sword they are good every where; and that in an Assault with the Foil, the joining is reckoned as nothing, whereas in Battle 'tis the Seal of the Victory; but except in that, it should be alike in every Thing.

Others say that if they had to do with experienced Men, they would not give them Time to put themselves in Guard; as if a Man who is expert were not always on his Guard, being more knowing, and better disposed, not only to place himself at once, by the Habit that all his Parts have contrasted, but also to surprise, and to avoid being surprised, by the Knowledge he has of Time and Measure: On the contrary, an unskilful Person being ignorant of both, is easily catch'd; besides, that his Parts being unaccustomed to place themselves regularly, or at once, must always be in a continual Motion, vainly seeking their Place, by which they give the Time, and would lose it if it were given to them.

Some, in Opposition to these, say that if they know how to keep themselves in Guard 'tis sufficient. They are in the right if the Guard be perfect, which is not to be acquired but by a Practice as long as is necessary to make them perfectly dexterous, which is not their Meaning; they thinking that it is only the placing of the Parts, which is useless, without Freedom and Vigour to manage them. These are Qualities which when accompanied with a certain regular Air, and a good Grace, shew, as soon as a Man takes a Sword or Foil in his Hand, to what Pitch of Dexterity he is arrived.

Some Men will tell you that they know enough to serve their Turn: Those who use this Expression, as well as those I have spoken of before, sufficiently shew that they have learnt but little or nothing. In Effect it is no hard Matter to judge of the different Degrees of Ability; so that when a Man finds himself inferiour, he cannot properly say that he knows enough to serve his Turn; and a Man who is superiour, knows very well that he is not perfect, and that if his good Disposition together with his long Practice, has brought him very forward in the Art, others may know as much as he, and that therefore he is not so perfect as an unskilful Person may imagine.

I have heard several People say that they did not care to be dexterous, nor to know the five Rules, provided they knew how to defend themselves, and to push and parry well; and really they are in the right, supposing they could do that without practising what the most able Men have invented upon this Occasion.

There are People that say, that with Sword in Hand, against an able Man, there is nothing to be done but push vigorously, to disorder him: I am apt to believe that this may succeed against a Man who is not well form'd, or has not the Courage and Resolution that is necessary; but if he has enough to keep up his Spirit, this Attack will be advantageous to him; because it cannot be done without giving him an Opportunity of getting the better; and besides, I have Reason to believe that the greatest Part of those who talk in this Manner, would hardly attempt an able Man.

It may be said that People have then fought in this Manner with Success; but as there is Difference in Persons, what succeeded with them against unskilful People or Cowards, would have been dangerous against other Men.

I have met with People who were weak enough to believe that Knowledge in Fencing takes away the Heart, saying, that seeing the Counters to every Thrust they form, by Means of that Knowledge, an Idea of evident Danger, which dissipating the Courage, and causing an Apprehension, hinders them from their Enterprise; when an unskilful Person blindly undertakes every thing. It is true that there is great Blindness in this Way of pushing, as they say, and still more in their Understanding, to think that an able Man dares not undertake or venture when the Appearance of Success leads him to it; and that an ignorant Man shall venture when his Loss is almost certain. Is it reasonable to suppose, that a Man of natural Courage shou'd lose it, because he is assured that he is more expert than his Enemy, over whom, or perhaps his Equals, he always had the Better in Assaults, by the Help of his Knowledge and Dexterity? This, far from intimidating him, seems to assure him of Success, which is due to his habitual Practice. On the contrary, an awkard Man having seen, by his Disadvantage in School Assaults, that he has no Room to hope in Combat, the dexterous Man possessing the Qualities which procure Success, and one who had never handled a Foil, will be as much puzzled, as if he had experience'd the Disadvantage of it.

Others, with as little Reason, leave all to Chance, but the very Name is sufficient to shew that it is not to be relye'd on.

Some again say to what Purpose shall we learn to Fence, the KING had forbid Duels: It is true that this great Prince, as august for his Piety as for his Victories, was willing thereby to preserve the Blood of his bravest Subjects, who expose'd it every Day to be shed through a false Notion of Honour.

But tho' he forbid Duels, he was so far from hindering the Practice of the Sword, that he has established several Academies for the perfect Use of it, not only for Defence, but also to qualify his Subjects to put the Justice of his Measures in Execution: And it must at last be agreed to, that a Man who wears a Sword, without knowing how to use it, runs as great a Hazard, and is full as ridiculous, as a Man who carries Books about him without knowing how to read.