The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Diuerſe reaſons or introductions to bring thee the better vntounto the knowledge of thy weapon.
IF thou doeſt meane to practiſe after my direction, then put thy weapons in their right place, looking not onelyonly to the picture, but to the words going before and after, likewiſe, frame your head, bodie, foote, and hand, according to my direction (as it followeth) after the firſt picture; for if either your weapons, or any part of your bodie be out of their place: yea, though it be but an inch too high, an inch too lowe, too wide, or too narrow, it is as much as your life is worth; If your enemie be very skilfull and willing withall: therefore, when thou goeſt to practiſe, reade it aduiſedly, with vnderſtanding, for I could hauehave made a great Volume, in deſcribing many ſorts of guards at euerie weapon, but it would hauehave beene an intricate peece of worke, and needeleſſe for eueryevery common man to know.
For as ſome Scriueners can write twentie kinds of hands, yet one or two will ſerue the turne; but the more ſortes being well written, are the more to bee commended, but to hauehave an entrance into many, and not to doe one well, is not worth commendations: euen ſo one guard perfectly learned at euerie weapon, may ſerue thee for thy true defence whileſt thou liueſt, againſt all other guards.
It is but little auaileable to thee, if thou ſee a good Scriuener write, except thou take the penne and practiſe to write, as hee doth; euen ſo, it booteth thee but little, that wouldeſt be skilfull of thy weapon, if thou doſt ſee two skilfull men play except thou take weapons and practiſe to do as they hauehave done before thee.
Againe, it is not enough for him that would write well, to write his copie but once ouer, and ſo leaue, no more muſt thou, if thou wilt hauehave skill in thy weapons, thou muſt not giuegive ouer with playing of one bowt, but thou muſt exerciſe it many times, and practiſe it often.
And if a man write well, and exerciſe it neuer ſo much, yet hee can neuer exceed, well written; euen ſo in skill of weapons a man may be perfect, and play well; but when thou haſt learned the true and perfect skill with thy weapons, thou maiſt exerciſe for thine health and recreation, but thou ſhalt neuer paſſe that word, well plaid.
Alſo, he which writeth much, and doth not regard his coppie, but writeth after his owne will, I thinke it were ſtrange for ſuch a Scholler to write well, but he will alwaies write a ragged hand: euen ſo hee that getteth him hilts and cudgells, and goeth about to learne of his owne head without direction of one that is skilfull, it were better that he had neuer played, if afterwards he goe to learne; for he muſt firſt vnlearne that which he hath learned, which will bee very hard to be done without great paines taking.
Now he which writeth a good Secretarie hand, and then afterwards he goeth to learne Roman hand, or Court hand, or any other the like, hee doth not thereby looſe his Secretary; but if hee can write all kinde of hands, then may he vſe moſt, that which hee liketh beſt, or thinketh fitteſt: euen ſo, he which hath (by his practiſe) gotten good skill, and yet being of an other mans teaching, it is of an other manner of teaching, and I will not ſay but that it may be ſo good or better then mine: yet hee which learneth my rules or followeth my directions, it can not hinder him any whit at all, but if hee hauehave once gotten them by good and perfect practiſe, if hee like them not, may goe to his olde faſhion againe, or learne of any other afterwards.
Yet againe, as the obſeruing of a true diſtance in a Scriuener betweene eueryevery line, is commendable in his writing, ſo it be done without ruling of it, which commeth by much practiſe; euen ſo in true skill in ſight, diſtance is a moſt excellent thing, and the principalleſt thing of all, next vntounto the guard to be obſerued and kept, and it muſt be gotten by great practiſe.
Againe, when you learne to write at the firſt, you write leaſurely, but with much practiſe your hand cometh to be ſwifter; euen ſo, with often vſe of thy weapon, thy hand will come to defend either blow, or thruſt more readily or more ſpeedily then at the firſt beginning of thy practiſe, albeit thou be ſhewen how to defend; and though thou hauehave the reaſon perfectly in thy head, and knoweſt when an other doeth it well, yet without practiſe thou canſt neuer be skilfull in defence of thy ſelfe.
Alſo, hee which writeth, and with his penne doth ſputter his paper with incke, a Scholler will thinke, if it be not a great blot, it is a ſmall matter, but a Scriuener will ſay, it is a great fault; euen ſo, if thy weapon or any part of thy body be out of the right place, yea, though it be but a little, yet it will ſeeme to him that hath skill, as much as a great blotte doth to a Scriuener in a coppie Booke.
Moreouer, he which learneth to write, muſt continually looke to his coppie, and muſt write according to it; for one letter, or one line well written, is better then a great deale of incke and paper ſpoiled, and not one letter well made: euen ſo, one blow, or one thruſt performed orderly, I meane, in his due time, and likewiſe to the right place, is better then an hundred vnorderly done.
Furthermore, if in writing an Obligation, a Scriuener doe write one letter of Roman hand, and another of Secretary, another of Court hand, it will not be ſeemely, nor commendable, but with what hand you beginne with, to end with the ſame; euen ſo you may frame your ſelfe, ſomtimes into one guard, and ſometimes into an other, taking heed alwayes, that you obſerue the ſame defence which belongeth to the guard; for if you are in one guard, and you vſe the defence of another, ſo you may deceiue your ſelfe (for euerie guard differeth in defence and offence) and betwixt euerie blow, and eueryevery thruſt, and euerie guard which I hauehave heere deſcribed in this Booke: there is as great oddes as is betwixt Secretarie hand, Court hand, and Roman hand: nay the ſeuerall difference of guards are more in number then there are ſeuerall kindes of hands in writing, yea many more then any Fidler can play leſſons vponupon his inſtrument, and the nature of the guards do differ as much as one leſſon from another; wherefore thoſe that thinke one defence ſerueth for defence of all guards, are aſmuch deceiued, as they that thinke there is but one kinde of leſſon to be played vponupon all inſtruments: for that ſeuerall kindes of leſſons are to be played vponupon all inſtruments are infinite; euen ſo, the ſeuerall guards for defence and offence are not to be numbred; for, betweene the true skill in weapons, and the falſe, are an hundred of each at the leaſt, and the contrarieſt and the moſt vnſeemely, eueryevery man hath by nature, but the beſt and ſureſt way is to be learned by Art of them that are skilfull; wherfore ſee eueryevery mans iudgement. For as thou mayeſt heare at one Sermon that which thou ſhalt neuer heare againe, euen ſo thou maieſt learne of one teacher, that thou canſt not learne of another: for euerie one that practiſeth naturall play without direction of one that is skilfull, ſuch a one in his practiſe, will hauehave one fooliſh tricke or other: which when they hauehave by common practiſe long vſed, will hardly be withdrawne from it: as for example, ſome will be ſetting their foote vponupon their weapons, as if it were to ſtretch him when hee was right before, but they do it of a fooliſh cuſtome that they learne of themſelues: likewiſe, ſome will puffe and blow like a broken winded horſe when they are at play, and ſome will daunce and keepe a trampling with their feete, and ſome will flouriſh and wauer with their weapons, ſome will whiſtle, and ſome will be blabbring of ſpittle in their mouthes, and putting out their tongues, and ſome againe will runne about as though they could ſtand on no ground, and it is as hard to wreſt or driue them from ſuch vnſeemely cuſtomes, as it is to driue a dogge from a peece of bread.
Yet many doe not ſee it in themſelues, but vntounto the skilfull, which beholde them, it will ſeeme very vnſeemely, and by nature, euerie one hath the woorſt way; as for example, there are but two wayes for the bowing of the head, either to the right hand, or to the left, and by nature, eueryevery one doth bow him towards the left ſide, rather ten to the right ſide; and there is very great oddes betwixt the right and the wrong in true defence, as I hauehave deſcribed in my reaſons more at large, both in the place of Sword and Dagger, and Rapier and Dagger, for it is great aduantage to leane thy head towards the right ſhoulder a little; and at the beginning of your practiſe it is very eaſie to frame your ſelfe to my faſhion, with ſtanding both with feete and bodie, for the vſe of the foote commeth not by nature, but by practiſe. Againe, many yoong men will be growne with ſlouthfulneſſe, and be ſo lazie, that they muſt be haled (as it were) with cartropes to any good exerciſe, accounting him their greateſt enemy which giueth them the beſt counſell, but to all folly they are prone and apt of themſelues, but perſwade them to any goodneſſe, and you ſhall ſee them hang arſe-ward like a dogge in a ſtring.
Moſt youth, for example, are willing to goe to Schoole at the firſt, but within a weeke or leſſe, away muſt the booke be laid, for feare leſt much learning make them madde, as Feſtus ſaid to Paul, for they will waxe dull and weary with a little paines taking.
And next, they muſt to the Fence Schoole, but there I am perſwaded they neede not learne offence, and I thinke a little defence is enough for them; for many will be wearie of well doing quickely, ſaying as the Porters of Briſtow, a new Maiſter, a new, and hang vp the old; euen ſo, from the Fence ſchoole they muſt goe to the Dauncing ſchoole, thinking that to be the onelyonly exerciſe in the world, but with a little practiſe they waxe weary of dancing likewiſe: then they ſay, Oh that heere were one to teach Muſicke! that exerciſe they ſhould neuer be wearie of, but within a little while that will be too tedious a matter to comprehend: ſo you may perceiue yong men (by their wills) will take paines at nothing, I meane, not one in twentie, but what they are forced vntounto.
Now I doe not put downe thoſe vanities, heere before in this Chapter expreſſed, thereby that thou ſhouldeſt waxe the worſe, by the reading of it, but I doe wiſh thee to marke others, and likewiſe examine thy ſelfe, that if thou ſee in others, or find in thy ſelfe ſuch fooliſhneſſe, refraine while thou art yong.
Although many there be that do vſe fooliſh tricks, and perceiue them not in themſelues to be vnſeemely, but ſuppoſe they become them well, as he that wauereth his weapon, or runneth about, wearieth him ſelfe: beſides, he that ſo runneth is in daunger of falling, for a little ſhrub, buſh, briar, ſtone, or moule-hill, may ſoone ouerthrow him which doth not trauerſe his ground leaſurely and orderly; for he which hath true defence muſt bee ſteadie in his guard with his foote and hand in their right place, whereas hee which wauereth his weapon is at no certaine guard for his defence; therefore, to keep ſteadie your weapons in their right place, is the beſt way: for, one blow, or one thruſt, orderly done, is better then an hundred without skill or out of order; for cunning in weapons may be compared to trickes at Cardes, for if one ſhew a tricke at Cardes, it will ſeeme ſtrange to him that neuer ſaw it before; but to him that can doe it, it is nothing troubleſome: euen ſo, as that tricke at Cardes is nothing when the ſecret is knowne, but very eaſie to be done: euen ſo, the beſt way at weapons, is as eaſie to bee followed (being knowne) as the worſt.
Farre deceiued are thoſe which imagine they cannot attaine vntounto the perfect skill of Defence with Rapier and Dagger, without ſuch antique faſhions of learning, which many of late yeares hauehave deuiſed, ſome wreathing their bodies like vntounto a coakes, and ſome, as though they were going to daunce the Antique, which maketh many that hauehave no experience at this weapon thinke it vnpoſſible euer to frame their bodies, as they ſee theſe doe, which I ſpeake of: but now theſe fantaſticall fellowes will perſwade a man, that it is not poſſible to play well at Rapier and Dagger, except a man can frame his body as they do; but I ſay, the beſt and ſureſt way is the eaſieſt to be attayned vntounto; for a boy of fifteene yeares of age, may (by ſmall practiſe) defend himſelfe againſt any man, with his rapier & dagger; for a thruſt with a rapier is more fearefull then with a ſword, and a man may ſee the thruſt better of a ſword then with a rapier, becauſe there is oddes in the breadth and bigneſſe each of the other. Againe, a man ſhall thruſt further with a rapier then with a ſword, for the hilt of a ſword will ſhorten your reach, by reaſon of the cloſeneſſe of the hilt, though they be both of one length.
Yet many are of this opinion, and will ſay, it is better to fight with a Sword and Dagger, then with Rapier and Dagger, the reaſon is (ſay they) with my Sword I may both ſtrike and thruſt.
But I ſay, and by good experience I ſpeake if, that hee which ſtriketh in fight, giueth his enemie a great aduantage; beſides, a Sword may either bow or breake, and ſo by that meanes hee that ſtriketh may fall into his enemies mercy. Beſides that, a boy of fifteene yeares of age may ſafely defend the ſtrongeſt mans blow that is, according to my direction following in the firſt Picture; for a weake man, or a boy, may defend more with both his hands, then a ſtrong man can charge him with one; for many can not forbeare ſtriking, being moued thereunto by anger, except they hauehave beene grounded in the diſaduantage of it by much practiſe; hee that doth defend a blow double, and make a quicke anſwere with a thruſt, by turning of his knockes inward, may hit any man that ſtriketh, and yet defend himſelfe without loſſe of time.
For the defence of a blow double, is ſure, and yet you may anſwer your enemie ſo ſoone, and with aſmuch danger to him as if you did defend it ſingle, for it may be all done with one motion, both the defence and offence.
Furthermore, I would counſell all Clothiers or Chapmen, which carrie many times more money then they are woorth, for their defence againſt falſe knaues, to carry a Staffe in their iournies, whether it be on horſe backe or on foote; for a good weapon doth not onelyonly ſerue to keepe the peace, but alſo a mans purſe from a thiefe, and likewiſe to be experienced in the skill thereof, if they ſhould be driuen to encounter vponupon a ſodaine at the like weapon. But a ſtaffe may eaſily encounter againſt a Sword and dagger, although but ſmall experience be in the Staffeman; but a little skill is a great help at a time of need, which if thou haſt not obtained in thy youth, then be not aſhamed to learne when thou art olde; for as in a ſchoole of learning, there are ſome in Grammer, and ſome in the Croſſe-row; ſo the greateſt Iudge in the land was in the Croſſe-row firſt: euen ſo into a ſchole of Defence there commeth, as well badde players, as good, and hee which is the good player ought not, nor it is not a thing vſuall to mocke or skoffe at him which is the badde player: and what of all this? Nothing, but to ſhew, that it is better to learne late then neuer, I meane eſpecially any good exerciſe or qualitie, which is, or may be profitable for a Commonwealth, healthy to the bodie, and commendable to to the world, for we are not borne altogether for our ſelues, but our Parents, Friends, and Country hauehave intereſt in our birth.
Now although ſome will talke of this and that, and ſay, that they hauehave fought with foure or ſixe men at once, yet I can conceiue no reaſon, how anie man ſhould defend two men, eſpecially if they bee both willing to ſpoile, or kill; for when thine eie is directly vponupon one of them; the other, in the meane while, may kill thee, if he be diſpoſed; for the motion of the eie is flower then the motion of the hand; for a man cannot caſt his eie about ſo quicke, but that he which is behinde thee, or on the one ſide of thee, may kill thee, if they be both willing (as I hauehave ſaid before:) But indeede if one skilfull man hauehave two or three vponupon him, and be in a narrow place, that they can not get about him, then may hee defend himſelfe a long time without hurt.
A left hand skilfull hath oddes againſt a right handed man, one reaſon is, that a left handed man is continually vſed to a right hand, but a right hand doth ſeldome meete with a left handed man; another reaſon is, a right handed man, when he doth open his right ſide of his head, by offering play, although hee beare his Dagger to the right eare, yet it doth not defend that ſide, ſo ſure, nor ſo ſtrong as it doth the left ſide. But indeede, ſo long as the right handed man lieth in his guard of defence vponupon his Backe-ſword, for the Backe-ſword is the chiefeſt poynt of defence againſt a left handed man; therefore when you encounter againſt a left handed man, you muſt be carefull and heedie, if you do offer play, to recouer your guard againe preſently, and be in the defence of your Backe-ſword guard: But of this I will ſpeake more at large heereafter.