it
shall happen a thrust to be forcibly delivered, reason would that it be
accompanied with the leg: for otherwise, by means of the force and weight,
which is without the perpendicular or hanging line of the body, having
no prop to sustain it, a man is in danger of falling. And it is to be understood,
that the pace does naturally so much increase or diminish his motion, as
the hand. Therefore we see when the right foot is behind, the hand is there
also: for what who so strains himself to stand otherwise, as he offers
violence unto nature, so he can never endure it: wherefore when he stands
at his ward, bearing his hand wide, there also the foot helps by his strength,
being placed towards that part: and when the hand is borne low, and the
right foot before, if then he would lift his hand aloft, it is necessary
that he draw back his foot: And there is so much distance from the place
where the foot does part, to join itself to the other foot, as there is
from the place whence the hand parts, to that place where it remains steadfast,
little more or less: wherefore presupposing the said rules to be true,
he must have great care to make his pace, h move his hand at one time together:
And above all, not to skip or leap, but keep one foot always firm and steadfast:
and when he would move it, to do it upon some great occasion, considering
the foot ought chiefly to agree in motion with the hand, which hand, ought
not in any case what soever happen to vary from his purpose, either in
striking or defending.
This high ward, which also might be called the first, being the very same which every man frames at the drawing of the sword
out
of the sheath, may so far forth, and insomuch be termed a ward, in how
much, by turning the point of the sword downward, it wards the whole person,
and for that, by gathering in of the hindfoot, and increasing forwards
with the right foot, a man may discharge a strong thrust above hand at
his enemy.In this, and in all other wards, it is diligently to benoted,
that he bear his weapons so orderly disposed, that the straight line which
goes from the sword's point be still best to strike the enemy, either in
the face or the breast: for if the point be so borne that it respect over
the enemy's head, the enemy may easily first enter underneath and strike
before the fall or descend thereof : And by holding the point two low,
he may by beating it somewhat downwards cause it to be quit void of his
body, and so safely come in to strike, the which has been many times seen.
widening
and stretching itself directly as much as possible from the right side,
bears the sword so far off from the body, that it seems to give great scope
to the enemy to enter, albeit in truth it be nothing so. For although the
hand and the handle of the sword, be both far from the body, and quite
out of the straight line, yet the point of the sword, from which principally
proceeds the offense, is not without the said line: For it is borne so
bending toward the left side that it respects directly to strike the enemy,
and being borne in that sort, it may very well both strike and defend.
And when the point of the sword is borne out of the straight line, as the
hand and handle is, then a man is in danger to bee hurt easily by the enemy,
the which happens not when the point is bending, for in such order, it
is as a bar and defense to the whole body.
may
more easily strike, ward and stand therein with less pain. This ward is
framed in the Schools after diverse fashions, either bearing the hand low
before the knee, either very much stretched forwards, either between both
the knees. All which fashions, (if we regard natural reason, and the motions
used therein) are to small purpose: for, besides that they are all violent,
and for a small time to be endured, they are also such, in the which a
man may not strike but in two times, or at least in one, and then very
weakly. Wherefore, casting all these aside, I will frame such a ward, as
shall be applied, to time, to nature, and to safety: And it is, when one
bears his arm directly downwards near his knee (but yet without it) and
his sword with his point somewhat raised, and bearing towards the left
side, to the end, it may arm and defend that part also, in such sort, that
(being borne without violence) he may continue long. And if he would strike,
he may in one time, forcibly deliver a great thrust. But this he cannot
do, if he bear his sword directly before him, for then he must either draw
back his arm when he would strike, or else strike in one time, but very
weakly. This ward therefore must be framed with the arm stretched downwards
near the knee, but yet on the outside thereof, because after this manner
a man stands safely, commodiously, and more ready, both to strike and defend.