Richard Francis Burton

“ But, after all, you're bound to let us know what you do if in his turn the adversary will not give you the sword."
The answer is easy. The great art of swordsmanship consists in laying successful snares, such as making your opponent expect the attack exactly where it is not intended. To deceive his expectations, to break up what he combines, to disaippoint his plans, and to narrow his action; to dominate his movements, to paralyse his thoughts, represent the art, the science, the skill, and the power of your perfect swordsman. ”

“ We must reason upon the generality of fencers and not upon exceptions. The man who has mastered this supreme excellence of swordsmanship envelops, so to speak, within the circle of his will the hand and the point of hie adversary; he attracts them alternately and repels them; he plays with them; he fascinates them as the serpent holds the bird with its glittering 1 eye. It represents what the mesmeriser calls the power of volition; it is the aura magnetica of the sword. ”

“ The act of refusing to give your sword, combined with keeping your adversary out of distance, compels him to advance for the purpose of attack, a proceeding not only dangerous in itself, but also beneficial to you as betraying his intention. ”

“ Old and wary swordsmen delight in surprises, because they find such ruses easily passed upon young hands; so the aged lion and the worn-out tiger become man-eaters. The middle-aged fencer, whose arms are like iron, affects those passes which enable him, by mastering the centre of your blade, or by gliding from the strong to the weak kind, such as the liement de Vepee, the pression, the batlement, the croise, and what are called in general Us attaques de Vepee, to force in your guard. These advantages on your adversary's side will not be annihilated, but their danger will be sensibly diminished ”

“ You disquiet your adversary by leaving him in doubt as to which of the four lines you threaten; you can consult your own time and convenience, and, when it suits you to attack or to parry, you can sharply engage the enemy's sword.
Never lend ear to innuendos about donner Vepee. You will , find that it is an " inartistic ruse and weakness, a want of taste, dignity, and moral greatness." Reply that your object is to touch, and not be touched, and that this is your mainstay of defence against coups de vitcsse generally, and especially against a man who is strong in the straight thrust. ”

“ He keeps his adversary at a distance, threatening him with agile blade, which gleams like lightning before his glance, and throwing him into confusion with the calculated irregu- larity of its action. ”

“ To the hand it gives lightness and that indescribable finesse which guide the cue of the billiard player; to the passes it communicates quickness directed by an appreciation of the case which can hardly be subjected to analysis. It is that mysterioue resume of delicate manipulation, of practised suppleness in wrist and forearm, and of precision in movement, which makes the adversary feel powerless before it, which startles at the same time that it commands- him. No quality in a swordsman is more rarely found in any degree approaching perfection. ”

“ In those days of the good old school, which perhaps, Lady Mary, you will be surprised to hear is so far from extinct that it shows many signs of vigorous life; in those antiquated times, still re- flected by our own, fencing was a series of feints, of attacks, of parries, and of riposts, previously calculated and combined like "openings" in games of skill. One move inevitably brought on another. ”

“ The croise is effected by turning the adversary's blade from carte to seconde or from tierce to demicircle; if the hand be not well elevated, the fencer runs the risk of a derobement on the blade being withdrawn from him. I have seen the froissement followed by a disengagement, which is, of course, simply an abuse.
These movements do not belong to my system, but they must be studied and guarded against. And, remember, there is nothing bad in fencing, provided that it succeeds.
VII In the use of arms, as in war, you must expect nothing to be given to you. ”

“ III By not giving the sword, you oppose an unexpected obstacle this dangerous tact; you escape from the fascination; you j ik the spell. By never allowing the adversary his customary base of operations, you defeat his manceuvres; you make him enter upon a new mode of tactics. An able general will alter his plan, and seek a triumph by beating you with your own arms. But he feels the difficulty; he is no longer upon plain ground, master of himself, and assured of every movement.
By giving the sword, you must always stand within distance I of the point. ”

“ When two fencers, after falling on guard, have " engaged " that is, have crossed weapons the thing is done.
Here, then, is our only safeguard not to give the sword; to remove the blade from that of the adversary; rarely, if ever, to permit the foils to meet. The professors, the schoolmen, and all who stand upon the ancient paths this was said with intention loudly declare that not to " give the sword " is a mere corruption of swordsmanship; that it means to thrust and tilt blindly and without judgment ”

“ If you speak of the beginners, the bunglers, who blindly rush upon each other, they can certainly heap fault upon fault when giving as well as when not giving the sword. But why, when you raise to so giddy a height of excellence what you call le sentiment or le tact du fcr, should you dethrone a rival sovereign of equal puissance, who may be called le sentiment du regard, le tad du regard? ”

“ Shun as carefully the brutal style, which rushes upon the adversary like the bounding of a wild beast.
It would be as wrong to take such exceptions for our models as it is unjust to use them in attacking the innovations of the modern system.
The soi-disant fencer may touch a swordsman once or even twicei by surprise or by chance for chance, I repeat, plays its part in fencing as in other affairs of life. But the art of arms cannot stoop to notice certain styles which may be termed the fisticuffs of the sword ”

“ They exhort you to follow the instincts of your nature, the inspiration of your thought; to be, in a word, yourself, not a living lesson, the pale reflex of a master. Avoid the classical style a systematic, artificial, and acrobatic exercise, without judgment or settled purpose. ”

“ He resists, he struggles, he fights, because he feels that you are tearing him away from his line of placid successes, his pleasant habits, his occupations which have been learned by heart, and which are regulated, like a piece of music, phrase after phrase. ”

“ How wonderfully the old writer, allow me to remark, goes to the heart of the subject; how, speaking of attacks, he gives its own and its proper relative value to the judgment of distance, to the sentiment du fer, to the sentiment du regard, and to the rapidity of action. It is strange to see that the new is not seldom only the very old; it is sad to think how often when we deem ourselves inventor, \ve are only unconscious revivers. ”

“ Progress is still a kind of war- cry, and not a few of the ancien regime not only deny its existence, but also look upon it as a polite invitation to tread upon the tails of the progressive man's coat. ”

“ Grace is the result of form; and manly grace, robust and energetic, that of the athlete, that which distinguished our doughty ancestors, is the progeny of strength united with shapely lines. The boor may have both, and be ungraceful withal; but we are not speaking of the untrained man, who bows servile over his mother darth. ”

“ For broadsword, especially in the East, where the crooked sabre never allows a thrust, a few curb-chains may be so disposed as to make the wearer almost invulnerable. A pair should cross the head; one on each side should run from the top of the jacket or tunic collar to the shoulder end down the whole sleeve, and it would be better to have another line more in front, defending the collar-bone ”

“ It is a struggle between sturdy com- batants, " rough customers" they would be called in the dialect of another exercise; supple and subtle, ardent and energetic as they are sturdy, calling to their aid all the resources of their art, the stores of their experience, the knowledge of their powers, and the suggestions of their individuality. ”

“ At the same time neither eye nor point betrays to hostile scrutiny aught of its secrets. In due time and at ease to himself, when everything has been weighed, disposed, and matured, this tireur roue wisely foresees both the attack and the ripost which is to follow it, presents his blade, and meets his adversary's ”

“ That is to say, you must at all times be exposed / to an attack de pied ferme, when it is most likely to succeed, we I will say, by a strong straight thrust, or by a degagement de \ vitcsse. It is impossible, even for the most practised hand, to ' be certain of parrying such an attack, and, if the measure between the points be somewhat short, the best fencer may find himself "buttoned." Under such circumstances thought, which is ever on the alert, finds itself troubled and excited; apprehen- sion and preoccupation work the brain, and it is vain to attempt maturing an attack. ”

“ If the adversary will not give the sword, force him to give it." This is the proper opportunity for feints, threats, and half attacks which would otherwise be misplaced. Either he parries them, or he attempts a time thrust, or he proceeds to stop you by presenting the point. In either case he must offer you his blade, and you accept it as a base for the pression, the flanconnade, the battement, the croise, the liement, the froisscment d'epee, or any pass you see most appropriate to the occasion. ”

“ I strongly object to the sandal, or fencing shoe, with a long projecting leather, which is supposed to assist the right foot in making a resonant sound. Practice does this with the common cricketing shoe easily and loudly enough, provided the sole is thin, but not too thin for protecting the foot. ”

“ The glove is mostly of two kinds, the common leather of tho Italian school, whose foil has a shell hilt, and the padded back rendered necessary by the double loops of the French weapon. Both may or may not have wrisb pieces of stiff leather, and for broadsword these should extend to the elbow there are few tilings more unpleasant than a cut, even with a blunt edge on the " funny bone." Do not think these matters trifling; I have seen bad wounds given by broken blades, when a little caution might have prevented regrettable accidents. ”

“ To say that I have not the highest admiration of it would be to set myself down in the lowest ranks of materialism as the world understands the word. But its very potency suggests the absolute necessity of providing against it when we find eo rare a gift opposed to us. ”

“ VI A word about these movements, which are most affected by short men, and which, powerfully executed, shake the anta- gonist's system, and sometimes reduce him to the weakness of a child. The pression, or weighing upon the adversary's blade, is becoming obsolete; but I do not see the reason for ranking it below its neighbours when carefully carried out. The flan- connade is the resource of a physically strong against a weak man ”

“ On a quelquefois pousse la precaution jusqu'a mettre un masque pour se garantir des coups qui peuvent etre portes au visage, lorsqu'on s'exerce a 1'art de 1'escrime. II est vrai que ceux qui sont encore ipeu verses dan cet art peuvent b Lesser leur adversaire en tirant mal, ou se faire bleeser en relevant une botte mal paree. Cependant on n'en fait aujourd'hui aucun usage."
The article evidently re-echoes the ideas which were ppnerallv admitted at the time. To out on a mask was to show the adversary that you feared the result of his awkwardness ”

“ Thus, the limbs are adequately protected against any average danger without the risk of splinters, or links of iron being driven into the wounds by stray bullets. I need hardly remind you that the chains: to be of full use must be sewn inside the cap and dress, and that the less said about their presence the better. ”

“ It begins to make itself felt as soon as; the blades come into contact. Essential to the highest develop- ment of our art, it is the result of happy natural disposition, of Jong study, and of persevering attention. ”