George Silver. Brief Instructions to my Paradoxes of Defence. London. |
(4) Of the short single sword fight(20) against the like weapon (Cap. 4)
- If your enemy lie aloft(21), either
in the open or true guardant fight, & then strike at the left side
of your head or body your best ward to defend yourself, is to bear it with
true guardant ward, & if he strike & come in to the close, or to
take the grip of you, you may then safely take the grip of him as it appears
in the chapter on the grip
.
- But if he does strike & not come in, then instantly upon your ward,
uncross & strike him(22) either
on the right or left side of the head, & fly out(23)
instantly.
If you bear this with forehand ward, be sure to ward his blow, or keep
your distance, otherwise he shall deceive you with every false, still endangering
your head, face, hand, arms, body, & bending knee, with blow or thrust.
Therefore keep well your distance, because you can very hardly discern
(being within distance), by which side of your sword he will strike, nor
at which of those parts aforesaid, because of the swift motion of the hand
deceives the eye.
- If he lies aloft(24) & strike as
aforesaid at your head, you may endanger him if you thrust at his hand,
or arm, turning your knuckles downward(25),
but fly backward withal in the instant you thrust.
- If he lies aloft as aforesaid, & strike aloft at the left side of your
head, if you will ward his blow with forehand ward, then be sure to keep
your distance, except he come so certain that you sure to ward his blow,
at which time if he comes in withal, you may endanger him from that ward,
either by blow thrust or grip(26).
- If he lies aloft & you lie low with your sword in the variable fight,
then if you offer to ward his blow made at your head, with true guardant
ward your time will be too long due in time to make a sure ward, so that
it is better to bear it with the forehand ward, but be sure to keep your
distance, to make him come in with his feet, whereby his time will be too
long to do what he intended.
- If 2 men fight both upon open fight, he that first breaks his distance,
if he attempts to strike the other's head, shall be surely struck on the
head himself, if the patient agent strike there at his coming in(27),
& slip a little back withal, for that sliding back makes an indirection,
whereby your blow crosses his head, & makes a true ward for your own,
this will that be, because the length of time in his coming in.
- Also if 2 fight upon open fight, it is better for the patient to strike
home strongly at the agent's head, when the said agent shall press upon
him to win the place than to thrust, because the blow of the patient is
not only hurtful to the agent, but also makes a true cross to defend his
own head.
- If he charge you aloft, out of the open or true guardant fight, if you
answer him with the imperfect guardant fight, with your body leaning forward,
your space will be too wide on both sides to make a true ward in due time,
& your arm and body will be too near unto him, so that with the bending
of the body with the time of hand & foot, he may take the grip of you.
- But if you stand upright in true guardant fight, then he cannot reach to
take the grip of you, nor otherwise to offend you if you keep your distance,
without putting in of his foot or feet wherein his number will be too great(28),
& so his time will be too long, & you in that time may by putting
in of your body take the grip of him, if he press to come in with using
only your hand, or hand or foot, & there upon you may strike or thrust
with your sword & fly out withal according to your governors, see more
of this, in the chapter of the grip.
- If he will still press forcibly aloft upon you, charging you out of the
open fight or the true guardant fight, intending to hurt you in the face
or head, or to take the grip of you, against such a one, you must use both
guardant & open fight, whereby upon every blow or thrust that he shall
make at you, you may from your wards, strike or thrust him on the face,
head, or body as it appears more art large in the 5th chapter of these
my instructions.
- If you fight with one standing only upon his guardant fight(29)
or if he seeks to come in to you by the same fight, then do you strike
& thrust continually at all manner of open places that shall come nearest
unto you, still remembering your governors, so shall he continually be
in danger, & often wounded, & wearied in that kind of fight, &
you shall be safe, the reason is, he is a certain mark to you, & you
are an uncertain mark to him.
- And further because he ties himself into one kind of fight only, he shall
be wearied for want of change of lying, & you by reason of many changes
shall not only fight at ease, & much more brave, but you have likewise
4 fights to his one, to wit, guardant, open, closed and variable fight,
to his guardant only, therefore that fight only is not to be stood upon
or used.
- But if all this will not serve & although he has received many wounds,
will continually run to come in, & forcibly break your distance, then
may you safely take the grip of him, & hurt him at your pleasure with
your sword, as appears in the chapter of the grip, & he can neither
hurt nor take the grip of you, because the number of his feet are too many,
to bring his hand in place in due time, for such a one ever gives you the
place, therefore be sure to take your time therein.
- In the like sort may you do at sword & dagger, or sword & buckler,
at such time as I say, that you may take the grip at the single sword fight,
you may then instead of the grip, soundly strike him with your buckler
on the head or stab him with your dagger & instantly either strike
up his heels or fly out, & as he likes a cooling card to his hot brain,
sick fit, so let him come for another(30).
- If 2 fight & both lie upon the true guardant fight & that one of
them will need seek to win the half sword by pressing in, that may you
safely do, for upon that fight the half sword may safely be won, but he
that first comes in must first go out, & that presently, otherwise
his guard will be too wide above to defend his head, or if fit for that
defence, then will it be too wide underneath to defend that thrust from
his body which things the patient agent(31)
may do, & fly out safe, & that agent cannot avoid it, because the
moving of his feet makes his ward unequal to defend both parts in due time,
but the one or the other will be deceived & in danger, for he being
agent upon his first entrance his time (by reason of the number of his
feet) will be too long, so that the patient agent may first enter into
his action, & the agent must be of force an after doer, & therefore
cannot avoid this offense aforesaid.
- If he come in to encounter the close & grip upon the bastard guardant
ward, then you may cross his blade with yours upon the like guardant ward
also, & as he comes in with his feet & have gained you the place,
you may presently uncross & strike him a blow on the head, & fly
out instantly, wherein he cannot offend you by reason of his lost time,
nor defend himself upon the uncrossing, because his space is too wide whereby
his time will be too long in due time to prevent your blow, this may you
do safely.
- If he comes in upon the bastard guardant ward, bearing his hilt lower than
his head, or but breast high or lower, then strike him soundly on the head
which thing you may easily do, because his space is too wide in due time
to ward the same.
- If your enemy charge you upon his Stocata
fight, you may lie variable with large distance & uncertainty with
your sword & body at your pleasure, yet so you may strike, thrust or
ward, & go forth & back as occasion is, to take the advantage of
this coming in, whether he does it out of the Stocata,
or Passata, which advantage
you shall be sure to have, if you observe this rule & be not too rash
in your actions, by reason that the number of his feet will be great(32),
& also because when those 2 fights are met together, it is hard to
make a true cross, therefore without large distance be kept of them, commonly
they are both hurt or slain, because in narrow distance their hands have
free course & are not tied to the time of the foot, by which swift
motion of the hand the eye is deceived, as you may read more at large in
the --- chapter of my paradoxes of defence.
- You may also use this fight, against the long sword, or long rapier, single
or double.
- Upon this ground some shallow witted fellow may say, if the patient must
keep large distance, then he must be driven to go back still, to which
I answer that in the continual motion & traverses of his ground he
is to traverse circularly, forewards, backwards, upon the right hand, &
upon the left hand(33), the which traverses
are still a certainty to be used within himself, & not to be prevented
by the agent, because the agent comes one upon a certain mark, for when
he thinks to be sure of his purpose, the patient is sometimes on the one side, & sometimes on the
other side, sometimes too far back, & sometimes too near, so still
the agent must use the number of his feet which will be too long to answer
the hand of the patient agent, & it cannot be denied but the patient
agent by reason of his large distance, still sees what the agent does in
his coming, but the agent cannot see what the other doeth, 'til the patient
agent be into his action, therefore too late for him either to hurt the
patient, or in due time to defend himself, because he entered into his
action upon the knowledge of the patient, be he knows not what the patient
agent will do 'til it is to late.
- If the agent says that then he will stand fast upon sure guard and sometimes
moving & traversing his ground, & keep large distance as the patient
does, to which I answer, that when 2 men shall meet that have both the
perfection of their weapons, against the best no hurt can be done, otherwise
if by any device one should be able to hurt the other, then were there
no perfection in the use of weapons, this perfection of fight being observed,
prevents both close fight, & all manner of closes, grips & wrestling
& all manner of such devices whatsoever.
- Also if he charges you upon his Stocata, or any other lying after that
fashion, with his point low & large paced, then lie you aloft with
your hand & hilt above your head, either true guardant, or upon the
open fight, then he cannot reach you if you keep your distance without
putting in his foot or feet, but you may reach him with the time of your
hand, or with the time of your hand & body, or of the hand, body &
foot, because he has already put in his body within your reach & has
gained you the place,& you are at liberty & without his reach,
'til he puts in his foot or feet, which time is too wide in that place
to make a ward in due time to defend his head, arms & hand, one of
which will be always within your reach. Note still in this that your
weapons be both short and of equal & convenient length of the short
sword.
- If out of this variable fight he strikes at the right or left side of the
head or body, then your best ward is to bear with the forehand ward(34),
otherwise your space will be too wide & too far to make your ward in
due time.
- If he lies variable after the manner of the Passata then if you lie aloft
as is above said, you have the advantage, because he that lies variable
cannot reach home, at head, hand or arm, without putting in his foot or
feet, & therefore it cannot be denied, but that he that plays aloft,
has still the time of the hand to the time of the foot, which fight being
truly handled is invincible advantage.
- If he lies variable upon the Imbrocata, then make a narrow space with your
point upward, & suddenly if you can cross his point with your blade,
put aside his point strongly with your sword & strike or thrust at
him, & fly out instantly, ever remembering your governors that he deceive
you not in taking his point.
- If he strike or thrust at your leg or lower part out of any fight, he shall
not be able to reach the same unless you stand large paced with bending
knee(35), or unless he comes in with
his foot or feet, the which if he shall so do, then you may strike or thrust
at his arm or upper part for then he puts them into the place gaining you
the place whereby you make strike home upon him & he cannot reach you(36).
But if he stands large paced with bending knee, then win the place &
strike home freely at his knee, & fly back therewith.
- If he comes to the close fight with you & that you are both crossed
aloft at the half sword with both your points upward, then if he comes
in withal in his crossing bear strongly your hand & hilt over his wrist(37),
close by his hilt, putting in over at the backside of his hand & hilt
pressing down his hand & hilt strongly, in your entering in, &
so thrust your hilt in his face, or strike him upon the head with your
sword, & strike up his heels, & fly out(38).
- If you are both so crossed at the bastard guardant ward, & if he then
presses in, then take the grip of him as is shown in the chapter of the
grip. Or with your left hand or arm, strike his sword blade strongly &
suddenly toward your left side by which means you are uncrossed(39),
& he is discovered, then may you thrust him in the body with your sword
& fly out instantly, which thing he cannot avoid, neither can he offend
you. Or being so crossed, you may suddenly uncross & strike him
upon the head & fly out instantly which thing you may safely do &
go out free(40).
- If you be both crossed at the half sword with his point up & your point
down in the true guardant ward, then if he presses to come in, then either
take the grip of him, as in the chapter of the grip, or with your left
hand or arm, strike out his sword blade towards your left side as aforesaid,
& so you may thrust him in the body with your sword & fly out instantly(41).
- Do you never attempt to close or come to grip at these weapons unless it
be upon the slow motion or disorder of your enemy, But if he will
close with you, then you may take the grip of him safely at his coming
in(42), for he that first by strong
pressing in adventures the close looses it, & is in great danger, by
reason that the number of his feet are too great, whereby his time will
be too long, in due time to answer the hand of the patient agent, as in
the chapter of the grip does plainly appear.
- Always remembering if you fight upon the variable fight that you ward upon
forehand ward, otherwise your space will be too wide in due time to make
a true guardant ward, to defend yourself.
- If you fight upon open fight, or true guardant fight, never ward upon forehand
ward for then your space will be too wide also, in due time to make a sure
ward.
- If he lies aloft with his point towards you, after the manner of the Imbrocata,
then make your space narrow with your point, & strike or thrust as
aforesaid but be sure herein to keep your distance, that he deceive you
not in taking of his point.
Released: November 13, 1998 / Last modified: December 12, 2008