The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 12 · Fighting move 8
Falſe play at Rapier and Dagger.
YOu muſt proffer, or faine a thruſt a foote aboue your enemies head, but preſently plucke backe your hand againe, and put home your thruſt which you meane to hurt your enemie withall vnderunder his Dagger arme, either vntounto his body or thigh, as you will your ſelfe, but ſtep not forth with your foote when you faine a thruſt, but with the ſecond thruſt which you meane to ſpeed your enemie withall, let then your foote and hand goe together, for in faining it ouer his head, it will ſeeme to him that you meane to hit him in the face, ſo that ſodainely hee will lift vp his Dagger, thinking to ſaue his face, but he cannot put him downe ſo quickly againe but that you may hit him as aforeſaid: againe if you profer or faine a thruſt to your enemies knee, I meane more quicke then I can ſpeake it, thruſt it into his Dagger ſholder, or to his face whether you liſt, for you ſhall finde them both vngarded, for when hee putteth downe his Dagger to defend the fained thruſt, hee cannot lift him vp againe before you hauehave hit him as beforeſaid, if his Dagger arme were neuer ſo ſtrong, nor neuer ſo ready, hee muſt put downe his Dagger and ſo hee will, or elſe you may hit him in the breaſt, for no man can tell whether the fained thruſt will come home or not, but hee which doth thruſt it, if the defence were neuer ſo skilfull, but now the onelyonly way to defend a falſe thruſt, is with the ſingle Rapier, for when that the Dagger falleth to cleare the fained thruſt from the body, then the Rapier muſt ſaue the vpper part, I meane the face and ſhoulder, by bearing him ouer your bodie as you doe at the ſingle Rapier, and ſo by that meanes the Rapier will defend all the bodie ſo low as your knee. By falſe play a Rapier and Dagger may encounter againſt a Sword and Buckler, ſo that the Rapier man be prouident and carefull of making of his aſſault, that hee thruſt not his Rapier into the others Buckler: but the falſe play to deceiue the Buckler, is by offering a fained thruſt at the face of him that hath the Buckler, and then preſently put it home to his knee or thigh, as you ſee occaſion; for he will put vp his Buckler to ſaue his face, but can not put him downe againe before you hauehave hit him, as aforeſaid.
Likewiſe you may proffer or faine a thruſt to the knee of the Buckler man, and put it home to his buckler ſhoulder, or face; for if hee let fall his Buckler to ſaue below, hee can not put him vp time enough to defend the vpper parts of his body with his Buckler, but muſt truſt for his defence, to his ſingle Sword: wherefore it behooueth euerie man to be skilfull in the Backe-ſword. The beſt way to make a falſe thruſt, is to ſtrike it downe by the out-ſide of your enemies Rapier hand, but not to thruſt it home, and ſo preſently bring vp the point of your Rapier, and thruſt it home to his left ſhoulder; for if you thruſt the fained thruſt within the compaſſe of his Dagger, then it may be he will hit the point of your Rapier, in offering to breake the fained thruſt; and if he doe but touch your Rapier in your firſt proffer, then you cannot recouer your point to put home your ſecond thruſt, before hee hath recouered his guard, and ſo will preuent you: therefore, if you doe make a falſe thruſt, preſent it without the circle or compaſſe of his Dagger, that in his defence he may miſſe the hitting of your point, then hath hee but the ſingle Rapier to defend your ſecond thruſt, and he muſt make his preparation firſt before hand with his Rapier, if ſuch an occaſion be offered, otherwiſe it cannot be defended.
Now there be diuers other guards to be vſed at the Rapier and Dagger, but moſt of them wil aske a great deale more practiſe, to be perfect in, then this firſt guard, and yet not anie one of them more ſeuere for defence both of blow and thruſt then this firſt guarde is, and therefore I doe account it the maſter guard of all other, yet in a Schoole, to make change of your play, then the more guard the more commendable, ſo they be performed with diſcretion and iudgement: therefore I hauehave deſcribed thoſe which I thinke neceſſary, although not ſo at large, as heereafter you ſhall hauehave them in a ſecond booke; for at ſome times, and for ſome purpoſes, one guard may better ſerue then another: for change of guards may croſſe ſome mens play, whereas if you vſe but one guard, may in often play be worne threed-bare, therefore learne as many faſhions of lying with thy weapons as thou canſt, and then in thy often practiſe make triall which thou doſt fit beſt withall, and that repoſe thy ſelfe vponupon at thy moſt neede: for I hauehave knowne many that could well defend themſelues at one gard better then at another, although hee be a cunning teacher, yet he cannot make all his Schollers frame themſelues vntounto true defence, all vſing one guard, wherefore there muſt bee triall made; for if the Scholler be dull of conceit in one guard, yet it may be he will fit better vntounto another, ſo thoſe which I hauehave found by my triall and practiſe, to be guards of defence, I put them downe briefly as followeth, but I thinke it were as good left them vndone, as begunne and not end them, yet thou ſhalt hauehave a taſte, for by a taſte men ſhall ſee what wine is in the Butte.